Mufasa and Scar: The Broken Legacy
by Niche Eenhoorn
Summary: This story takes place between the birth of Scar and Mufasa, and the beginning of the movie. NOTE: Since the story was written more than 10 years ago, this story is NOT canon, so some names and situations will be different.
1. A New King is Born

_Disclaimer:_ This work is based on Walt Disney's film "The Lion King". Elements and characters taken from this movie are property of Walt Disney, I don't take any credit, and no profit is made out of this story.  
Any character that you don't recognize from the movie was made up by me. If you would like to use them for a story of your own, just drop me a note! :)

_ Author's note: _  
I wrote this story sometime back in 1997-1998. You might find it archived in other sites; however, in this version, some of the grammar, punctuation and character flaws have been fixed (or at least tried to!) Then again, I repeat I am not a native English speaker, so, if you have any comments or see a recurring grammar problem that I've missed, please let me know.  
Note: This story is not canon, so some names and situations will be different.

Enjoy the story!

* * *

**Mufasa and Scar: The Broken Legacy**

_By Niche Eenhoorn _

**Chapter 1**

**A New King is Born**_  
_

It was almost sunset. The heat decreased little by little as the sun hid behind the horizon. The intense blue of the sky started turning violet with the arrival of the night, and the shadows began falling slowly over the great African Savannah, a wonderful place in which life and death show up at every moment, a place where you must fight arduously to survive, and where you must faithfully obey, without distinction, the laws of the great Circle of Life.

This beautiful place was divided in a great number of territories, invisible to human sight, but easily identified by the animals living in it. The lands that belonged to the prides of lions were the most spectacular ones; they were located close to a water hole, which helped refresh the lions every time they wanted to. Their territories were big and spacious, covered by a soft rug made of green grass. It didn't always remain like that, but the grass never failed in regaining its splendor as soon as the rains arrived.

Among all the prides that lived in the Savannah, there was one which turned out to be more special than the rest, because of all the events that occurred in it. Some were good things, some were bad things. But all of them marked the history of new generations of animals that were still about to come.

This pride was healthy, strong and powerful. Their territory spanned a great extension of the Savannah. It was so wide that the pride members referred to their kingdom as "Everything the light touches." These lands had belonged to countless generations of lions. One of these generations had decided to give their territory the name of "Pride Lands". It seemed that this name was appealing to the lions, and they kept it through times to come.

An imposing rock stood right in the middle of the Pride Lands. There was a small cave in its base, that the lions used to protect themselves from the rain and the sun. They called that rock "Pride Rock". The enormous stone was exceedingly beautiful and majestic, worthy of being occupied by the Lion King of the Pride Lands and his pride. The rock had a great promontory which allowed the lions to observe a wide part of their territory. The whole kingdom could be appreciated while standing on the peak of Pride Rock, where the lions could climb up to without difficulty. It was also possible to see part of the pride's boundaries: the elephant graveyard at the Northern border.

Pride Rock was no ordinary stone. It had seen the birth and death of many lions; it had lived and shared with them their triumphs and misadventures, their happiness and their sadness. Now it was about to witness, once again, the miracle of life - but at the same time the tragedy and pain of death.

The stars were already visible, and one lion, sitting at Pride Rock's promontory, was looking at them intently. There was an adult baboon sitting by his side. He was also looking at the sky, expectantly. Both seemed to be waiting for a very important happening, and remained silent. The silence was broken by the baboon after a few seconds.

"I can see you're very thoughtful... Is something worrying you?" he asked.

The lion shook his head. "No, Rafiki, it's just... I'm a little nervous because of the birth of my son, or daughter..." the lion sighed.

The baboon smiled slightly. "Or sons..." he added, emphasizing the plural.

The Lion King returned a nervous smile.

Rafiki gave a soft pat on the lion's back, reminding him that the baboon would be there for him, always.

"Everything is going to be fine, Thembi. The Prince will be born today, that's for sure," Rafiki said.

Thembi smiled again. "I hope there won't be any complications at all," he said, and then remained silent, allowing himself be absorbed by the beauty of his kingdom.

Rafiki looked at the lion, wondering if his sons would take up to him. He stared at Thembi thoughtfully, who didn't notice, in the middle of his worries, that he was being observed by the baboon.

Rafiki analyzed the king's features. Thembi was big and brawny. His fur was darker than the fur of the rest of the lionesses of his pride. His mane was totally black, without a trace of blond. His eyes were brown, just like his father's. Thembi always wore a stern expression in his face, because he was a very serious lion. One of his biggest defects was that had a very unstable temper, not to mention that he also could be very spiteful and stubborn. Once he made a decision, nothing on earth could make him change his mind. All in all, he could also be gentle and loving, if he felt like it.

The moment of silence was interrupted when a lioness came out of the cave, smiling widely.

"Thembi..." she called, trying to get the Lion King's attention.

He turned his head rapidly and faced the lioness. When he saw her broad smile, Thembi stood up and walked to her.

"Karanga, tell me, was it a male or a female?" the lion asked, full of enthusiasm.

"It was a beautiful male lion!" she answered.

Her radiant face helped calm Thembi. The lion started walking towards the cave's entrance when, all of sudden, he heard a cry that came from inside.

"Oh, no! No!" was the exclamation of one of the lionesses from inside the cavern.

Thembi was startled, as was the lioness standing by his side.

"Karanga, come quickly!" a lioness called.

Karanga feared that something terrible was happening. She looked at Thembi and said, "Wait, don't go inside for now, I'll tell you when it is the proper time; maybe another cub is coming..."

Thembi didn't say a word and he just stood there, observing how Karanga entered the cave again. Rafiki approached him, looking confused.

"What's wrong?" the baboon asked.

Thembi sighed deeply. "That's the same thing I'd like to know," he replied, suffering greatly because of the uncertainty, not knowing what was happening to his wife or son. They kept waiting in silence for a few more minutes.

Inside the cave, the beautiful lioness Kitok was lying motionless on the floor. Her eyes were closed. Her face was pale and her expression was a painful one. The rest of the lionesses stared sadly at her. At Kitok's side, there were two small cubs that tried to look for the warmth and caressing of their mother, finding neither of them. Karanga approached the smaller one and cleaned it with her own tongue, because its mother did not have time enough to do it.

"Poor things!" Sita exclaimed with a cracking voice.

Some lionesses nodded.

"Who's going to tell Thembi?" Anasa asked.

The lionesses looked at each other, without daring to communicate the sad news to the King. Karanga looked at her pride-mates for an instant, and sighed.

"I'll do it," she said after a few seconds.

"Oh, Karanga... thank you. You have always been so strong for these things, I could never do it..." Kuuliza said as she nuzzled Karanga lovingly.

She half-smiled, her face unable to conceal her sadness. Leaving the cub by Kitok's side, Karanga left the cave, walking heavily, with head down and ears flattened. She walked to Thembi, who was waiting impatiently to know what had happened. Seeing that Karanga's face was full of sadness this time, Thembi felt a chill going through all his body, causing the fur on his back to stand on end.

"What happened, Karanga?" the lion asked, trying to keep calm.

She cleared her throat. "Actually, another cub was born, another male," Karanga replied, sighing at the end of her phrase.

Thembi tried to look in her eyes, but the lioness looked away quickly, avoiding visual contact and trying to hide from Thembi the tears that were starting to appear in her eyes. The lion's curiosity was aroused.

"And... Did the second cub make it? Or did he die when he was born?" Thembi asked, wishing to obtain a negative reply.

Karanga shook her head. "He lives," the lioness answered, feeling her eyes mist up with tears.

Thembi breathed a sigh of relief. But... if his two sons were alive, then...

"Then why do you look so worried, Karanga?", the Lion King asked, becoming alarmed once again.

Karanga looked at Thembi for an instant. She had to stare at the ground again before muttering, "It's... it's Kitok..."

Thembi looked startled after hearing that piece of news. "What has happened to my wife?" he asked, realizing, due to Karanga's painful expression, that the answer was more than obvious.

Karanga tried to speak again. "She..." the lioness started, but all of a sudden she broke down in tears.

"Oh, Thembi!"

"What's going on?", he demanded desperately.

"Kitok died when the second cub was born! She saved the baby's life, but now she's gone!", Karanga said between sobs.

Thembi felt as if Pride Rock had fallen on top of him.

"My wife!", the lion exclaimed, without even moving, not believing what he had just heard.

Thembi entered the cave hastily ignoring the fact that he had to wait until the cubs were totally clean. Once inside, his ears folded down as he found himself face to face with a lifeless Kitok. There she was, his wife, companion, friend, the Queen of the Pride Lands. Thembi approached her, slowly, crying uncontrollably.

"Kitok..." he said, his deep voice cracking, "I couldn't even say goodbye... I couldn't listen to your beautiful voice for a last time...", the lion continued, sobbing repeatedly.

He rubbed his muzzle against Kitok's, wetting it with his own tears. He continued grieving his sorrow while the rest of the lionesses walked dissemblingly out of the cave, leaving the King alone with his grief. However, there was one lioness who knew that leaving the cubs alone might not be a good idea. Thembi was obfuscated, and he could act carelessly towards them. Thus, Karanga, fearing for the safety of the two little lions, approached Kitok's body and grabbed the bigger cub with her mouth. The lion King looked at her in awe.

"Leave him there!", Thembi ordered, still looking at Karanga in a distrustful way.

She let go the cub smoothly, but was determined to not let Thembi intimidate her.

"What are you going to do?" the lioness asked, leaving aside for a moment the deep sadness she felt, knowing that her best friend had just died.

Thembi dropped his gaze, only to stare intently at the two cubs. He could easily identify the one that had been born first, being completely clean, whereas the one that had been born after still had some spots to be cleaned.

"That one," Thembi said pointing with his paw at the second cub and looking at him sideways, "that's the one you can take away. I don't want to see him. Get him out of here, now!" the lion ordered.

Karanga's eyes opened wide. "But... Thembi! He's your son-"

"No, he isn't!", Thembi interrupted Karanga. "That cub is responsible for Kitok's death. Take him away! Take him far away! If he ever stands in my way then-"

"Stop it!" the lioness shouted, looking straight at Thembi.

Both lions remained silent for a second. Lowering the tone of her voice, Karanga went on. "You can't talk like that about your own son!"

Thembi sighed, and looked at the two cubs. He approached them. Karanga felt the fur on her back bristling, fearing that Thembi would make a terrible mistake.

"Thembi, what are you going to do?" she asked fearfully.

The lion stood in front of his two sons and looked at them carefully. Both cubs were beautiful, but they were starting to feel the lack of motherly warmth and food, so they whined constantly. Thembi tilted his head as he listened to the sounds his sons were making. Shedding a tear, the lion said, "it's a pity you never got to know your mother..."

Karanga listened, paying attention to Thembi's words, realizing that the lion's posture was not threatening, and it seemed he wouldn't hurt his second son. Suddenly, Thembi's sad expression changed into a more severe one when he fixed his gaze on the smaller cub. Karanga became alarmed again. Thembi started talking to the small lion that cried and pleaded for something to eat.

"Don't cry!" Thembi said through clenched teeth. "This is all your fault!" the lion added coldly.

Karanga approached the cubs again and without caring about what Thembi might think, she took the smaller cub with her mouth, walked back a few steps, put the cub back on the ground and protected him with her own paws.

"I won't let you harm him!" Karanga exclaimed, growling softly.

Thembi looked at her and half-smiled. "That's it. Take him out of my sight. Do whatever you want with him. I've already got my son," the lion replied as he turned his back on the lioness and patted lovingly the head of the bigger cub.

Karanga couldn't help but growl at Thembi's lack of sensitivity towards his smaller son. The lioness just watched as Thembi lied down at Kitok's side one last time, and hugged the other cub to give him a little warmth.

"Kitok..." Thembi said, completely forgetting about the presence of Karanga and the smaller cub, "my love, my life, I know I will miss you so much! But I'm going to make the one responsible for your death pay for his guilt!" he muttered, hugging the bigger cub protectively, and looking resentfully at the second one, still hidden between Karanga's legs. She was looking at him, awed. Thembi frowned.

"Are you still there? I told you to take that cub away! Do it!" the ill-tempered lion growled.

Karanga froze for an instant. This was something she had never expected to happen. She knew Thembi was highly agitated because of Kitok's sudden death, so she came to the conclusion that Thembi wasn't thinking straight and he didn't know what he was saying. This excuse was a relief for her.

Surely, once he calms down, he will think carefully about what happened and will realize that the second cub isn't guilty of Kitok's death, she thought.

Carefully, she grabbed the little cub with her mouth and walked out of the cave. Thembi saw her leave. He sighed, and let his head rest on his paws as he closed his eyes. Several tears ran down his cheeks as he recalled the time he and Kitok had spent together.


	2. The King's Decision

_Chapter 2_  
  
**The King's Decision**

Once outside the cave, Karanga was approached by the rest of the lionesses. Rafiki also walked to her and looked at the new born cub.   
  
"What happened?" the baboon asked.   
  
"Haven't they told you?" Karanga said after placing the cub on the ground. She felt as if a knot was starting to form on her throat; it was very difficult for her to speak.   
  
"They've informed me of Kitok's death, but... What are you doing with this cub? Isn't there another one to take care of?" Rafiki replied, looking lovingly at the baby.   
  
Karanga nodded. "The other one's inside..." She took a deep breath. "Thembi is keeping him warm, but he's also decided that he won't recognize this cub here as his son."   
  
The phrase provoked several comments among the lionesses, but it seemed Rafiki was the most impressed of all.   
  
"How is it possible that the King said such a thing?" Rafiki asked.   
  
Karanga shrugged.   
  
Sita also couldn't believe what she had just heard. "What are we going to do with this cub then? He will be in constant danger!" she exclaimed, knowing very well what happened to cubs who met lions that didn't accept them. And seeing how Thembi denied any kind of relationship...   
  
"We've got to do something!" Kuuliza added.   
  
Rafiki was about to say something when all of a sudden, Thembi came out the cave hastily and walked to where the pride and Rafiki were gathered together.   
  
"Rafiki, my son needs food, and it has to be right now! He's crying nonstop and I know that none of the lionesses in this pride are in condition to feed him..." Thembi said in a pleading tone, but Rafiki's expression was stern.   
  
"And you haven't heard this cub crying, have you? He's even hungrier than the first one.", Rafiki said looking at the second cub.   
  
Thembi looked away. He didn't feel in the mood for discussing that subject at the moment, so he kept pleading.   
  
"Rafiki, I need you to find someone able to feed my son. Please, he's the only thing left from my Kitok..."   
  
Rafiki frowned. He was aware that Thembi was speaking as if he only had one son, but he came up with an idea that might just work.   
  
"Alright, Thembi, I'll look for someone to feed your son, on one condition."   
  
Thembi was amazed to see how a simple baboon was setting conditions to him, the King himself! However, knowing that Rafiki had now control over him, the haughty lion replied, "Fine. I'll do whatever you tell me."   
  
Rafiki smiled. "You will also allow this cub to feed from the lioness that will come to save their lives." Rafiki said.   
  
Thembi sighed deeply and remained silent for a moment. Afterwards, he turned to Rafiki, muttering through clenched teeth, "Alright, then so be it. But do hurry up, my son needs food as soon as possible."   
  
Rafiki nodded. "I'll do my best, Thembi. I'll look for a substitute mother for your sons, and then we can carry out the Queen's funeral at dawn..."   
  
Thembi looked at him over his shoulder. "That's right, the funeral..." the lion said as tears filled his eyes once more.   
  
Thembi walked back to the cave slowly, while the pride discussed what just happened.   
  


  
  
"I think he's acting very selfish!" Karanga said, licking the cub lovingly.   
  
If only I could feed him, the lioness thought. Knowing very well that she had no milk to provide to the cubs, Karanga volunteered instead to help Rafiki with the search for someone able to feed the babies.   
  
Rafiki smiled at the lioness's offer. "Thank you, Karanga, but it won't be necessary. I know of someone who could help us; a lioness has given birth to her cubs not far from here."   
  
The lionesses cheered up slightly after hearing that, some of them sighing in relief. All they could do now was hope that the lioness would accept Rafiki's proposal.  
  
The baboon waved goodbye to the pride and walked away, holding his staff firmly. He took off in the direction where he last saw that rogue lioness and her cubs.   
  
As he walked away, he shouted to the lionesses, "Try to keep the cubs warm!"   
  
"Yes, Rafiki!" they answered in unison as they watched the baboon disappear in the distance.

"Thembi's attitude is really worrying me." Karanga whispered.   
  
The rest of the pride remained silent for a brief instant.   
  
"Can I clean the cub now?" Kuuliza asked Karanga, who was licking the cub's head repeatedly.   
  
"Of course, go ahead." Karanga said and placed the cub between Kuuliza's paws, letting her pride mate take over.   
  
While the rest of the lionesses also waited for their turn to nuzzle the cub, some of them were shedding new tears for the Queen that had just left. It meant one lioness less for Thembi's pride, which wasn't too big after all. At the moment, the only lionesses that were still alive were Karanga, Kuuliza, Anasa, Huria and Sita. And now that Kitok had died, Thembi would have to choose another lioness as queen; she would become the adoptive mother of the Prince and his brother. This thought seemed to cross Anasa's mind.   
  
"I wonder who will be the new queen..."   
  
The lionesses looked at each other, and after a while, all the looks were fixed upon Karanga. She couldn't help but notice.   
  
"No... Don't look at me..." she said, stuttering a little.   
  
"It is obvious he will choose you as his wife," Anasa said, knowing that Karanga's rank and courage entitled her to be the new queen.   
  
Karanga looked at the ground, confused.   
  
"Wouldn't you like to be the new Queen of the Pride Lands?" Sita asked with a tone of awe in her voice.   
  
"Me? Never!" Karanga replied as her voice cracked. She started to cry.   
  
Kuuliza seemed a little confused by the lioness's attitude and pricked her hears with curiosity.   
  
"But I thought--" Anasa started to say, but Karanga didn't let her finish.   
  
"I could never take the place of my best friend... I couldn't do that to her..." the lioness said, sobbing uncontrollably.   
  
Kuuliza stood up. "Here, you clean the cub now," she told Anasa and placed the purring cub between the paws of her friend.   
  
Anasa just looked at them startled, but said nothing more. Kuuliza walked to Karanga's side and whispered in her ear, "come, let's talk."   
  
Karanga staggered to her feet and walked away, leaving the rest of the curious and gossiping lionesses behind.   
  
Kuuliza followed her, and when they were finally alone, she nuzzled her pride mate. "What's going on, Karanga?"   
  
Karanga couldn't stop crying and she could barely speak between her sobs.   
  
Kuuliza waited a few minutes for her pride mate to calm down.   
  
Once the lioness stopped weeping, Kuuliza dried the tears of Karanga with her own tongue.   
  
"Don't cry, my daughter, it's the way things are supposed to be."   
  
"I can't help it..." Karanga replied, feeling some comfort in her mother's caressing.   
  
"Now," Kuuliza said as she sat in front of Karanga, "Do you want tell your mom what's going on inside that little head of yours?"   
  
Karanga sat down too, and sighed deeply. With some difficulty, she started talking.   
  
"I-- I can't take Kitok's place, I can't!" the lioness said, looking into Kuuliza's eyes.   
  
"What's stopping you? Unfortunately, there is not much of choice. Thembi will have to choose a new queen. Wouldn't you like him to choose you?" Kuuliza said, keeping eye contact.   
  
Karanga looked away after a few seconds, still listening to Kuuliza.   
  
"Now you can get what you've wanted the most, dear. I know how much you've wished to be the queen and to be at Thembi's side--"   
  
"Shut up! Shut up, please!" Karanga said, covering her ears with her paws and throwing herself to the ground with a loud thump.   
  
Kuuliza looked at her understandingly.   
  
"My girl, you have always loved Thembi, now it could be your chance--"   
  
"Mom! Don't you understand? I feel as if I was betraying Kitok's memory or something!" Karanga exclaimed, looking in despair at Kuuliza.   
  
Kuuliza shook her head, but Karanga ignored her and went on, "You know how much she trusted me! She told me everything! She loved Thembi as much as I did, and he... he gave his love to her," she said softly, failing to conceal the sadness she felt when she pronounced those words.   
  
There was a brief moment of silence. After catching her breath, Karanga continued talking.   
  
"I don't want to take advantage of this situation just to be by the side of the lion I love. Kitok deserves respect, and, although she died, that doesn't give me the right to just waltz in and take what belonged to her--"   
  
"Daughter--" Kuuliza interrupted.   
  
Karanga fell silent.   
  
"One way or the other, Thembi will have to choose a new queen. That's a fact."   
  
Looking into her daughter's eyes once more, Kuuliza added, "if he chooses you, what are you going to do? Will you turn him down?"   
  
Karanga pressed her eyes shut, breaking the visual contact with Kuuliza, the only lioness that could keep eye contact with her for that long.   
  
"Then, In that case..." Karanga muttered, and after sighing deeply, she whispered, "Then I will be his queen, and I'll take care of the cubs." Karanga stared at ground sadly.   
  
Kuuliza looked at her fixedly. "You still love him, don't you?" she asked.   
  
Karanga nodded, "More than life itself." Glancing at the cavern's entrance, the young lioness added, "mom, I found Thembi's attitude toward the smaller cub really strange."   
  
"I think we ALL found it strange, dear, but maybe you can somehow persuade him to accept the cub." Kuuliza said as she rubbed her head against Karanga's neck.   
  
"Mom, I love you..." Karanga whispered, while both lionesses purred slightly.   
  
After a while, Karanga realized that the moon was almost over them, which meant that the cubs would be exceedingly hungry by now.   
  
"I wonder if Rafiki was able to find that lioness he was talking about. Shall we go check?"   
  
Kuuliza could only hope that he succeeded.   
  
The two lionesses started walking silently back to where the rest of the pride was keeping the second cub warm. Karanga was silent, absorbed in her thoughts. When she walked in front of the cave's entrance, she couldn't help but look inside. She descried Thembi snuggled beside Kitok's body, while the cub, protected by his father's mane, slept warmly next to them. Nonetheless, the hunger the little lion felt was obvious; he moved constantly and whined raucously.   
  
I hope Rafiki returns soon, Karanga thought. Feeling more calm and relaxed, Karanga sat beside her pride mates, who didn't make any other comments on who would be the new Queen of the Pride Lands.   
  
The second cub was lying motionless between Huria's paws, but he was not asleep. He rolled over uneasily every now and then, looking for food, which no lioness could offer to him. He fell asleep after a while, too weak to stay awake.  
  



	3. New Members in the Pride

_Chapter 3_

**New members in the Pride**

Rafiki panted heavily as he walked through the tall grass. It seemed that the lioness that had just given birth moved to another hiding place to protect her defenceless cubs. Despite the fact that he knew he must keep on going, Rafiki had to sit down and rest for a bit. He had been running mostly during his distant search, and the baboon was growing tired. After a while, he continued looking eagerly for her, but it seemed it was useless. He felt an enormous sadness when he thought that Thembi's cubs would die if he didn't find someone able to feed them. All of a sudden, he heard a slight noise. Rafiki stood up quickly and looked in all directions. He noticed that something was moving between the grass. Cautiously, Rafiki approached to inspect and see what was hiding in there. He listened as some animal talked to something or someone, unable to understand what it was saying. Rafiki kept approaching, until he was able to understand some of the words.

"I know you are hidden here, you won't be able to escape- There... that's it. Mmmhhh. Delicious!"

Rafiki, feeling curious, couldn't help approaching a little more. The voice he heard belonged to a small blue bird that was looking for food.

Rafiki stepped on a twig and made a cracking noise. The bird looked up startled and shrieked when he saw someone coming near him. He tried to fly away, but Rafiki hit him with his wooden staff right on the head, blocking his escape.

"Don't harm me!" the stunned bird pleaded.

Rafiki looked carefully at the stranger and smiled. "Great, you're a hornbill! Perhaps you could help me..." the baboon said as he scratched his beard, thoughtfully.

The bird rubbed his sore head with one of his wings and looked at Rafiki. Realizing his aggressor was a full grown baboon, the bird became more alarmed, but he remained still, not wanting another knock on the head again.

"Help?" the bird asked, sounding confused.

"Yes," Rafiki insisted, "You are able to fly. Could you perhaps help me find a lioness that has just given birth not far from here? It is very urgent, the life of the King's sons depends on it!"

"The cubs are born?" the bird asked enthusiastically.

Rafiki nodded. "But it's necessary that we find this lioness I am talking about, because... the Queen has passed away, and there is no one to feed the future king and his younger brother."

The bird's happiness disappeared completely. "The Queen is dead? Oh, dear..." he exclaimed, looking sadly at Rafiki.

The baboon studied the bird for a moment. A rather young hornbill, he won't be much help, Rafiki thought. But the bird was willing to do his best to save the lives of the new princes.

"Please, let me help! I'll try to find that lioness, I'll do it immediately!"

"Thank you. The King will reward you for your help, I'm sure," Rafiki exclaimed and almost at the same time, the bird took off and flew quickly out of sight.

Rafiki continued with his search on ground, praying to the kings of the past for strength, specially for the cubs, to help them survive until he found someone who would feed them. After several minutes that seemed to last an eternity, the bird came back.

"Hey there!" the bird called the baboon, still floating in mid-air. Rafiki looked up.

"Have you seen her?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, she's nearby, that way!" the bird said, pointing with his beak in the right direction.

"Wonderful!" the baboon said, sighing in relief. "Could you guide me?" Rafiki asked as he grabbed his staff firmly.

"Yes, come on, hurry!" the bird replied, and both animals went towards the lioness's new hiding place as fast as they could.

As they approached, Rafiki was able to hear low whines that came from the lioness's cubs. He could also listen to her tender words, trying to comfort them. The baboon approached cautiously. He saw the lioness hiding between the tall, yellow grass. She was cleaning one of her cubs carefully, while the others ate. There were three babies in total. It would be a hard job for the lioness to feed so many cubs, her own and Thembi's, but Rafiki was hoping she would accept his proposal anyway.

Approaching little by little, Rafiki pushed the grass aside as he walked through. The lioness's excellent hearing warned her that someone was approaching. She stood up, alarmed, and looked everywhere intently, trying to listen for other sounds or to catch the scent of the animal that was nearby. She managed to make out the slim figure of Rafiki, who was watching her fixedly. She bared her teeth as a warning.

Rafiki could see that the lioness was already aware of his presence. He approached a few steps saying, "Please, I come in the name of King Thembi to ask you an enormous favor. Don't hurt me, I didn't come here to hurt you or your cubs."

The lioness pricked her ears with curiosity, and felt interested when she heard the word King.

"Come nearer, let me see you." she said as she hugged her small cubs protectively.

Rafiki obeyed and walked to the lioness, while the bird flew in circles above them, waiting impatiently to hear the mother's answer.

Once Rafiki was in front of the lioness, he sat down and relaxed slightly, so that she could see that the baboon posed no threat to her or the babies.

Rafiki addressed her politely. "My name is Rafiki, and I've come here searching for you because we need you to do us a favor."

She tilted her head slightly. "A favor? What do you mean?"

Rafiki sighed and looked at the ground. "The Prince and his brother were born earlier today, but the Queen passed away after the second cub came. The cubs are starving and the rest of the lionesses in the pride have no milk to feed them. That's why I've been looking for you. I wanted to ask if you could help feed King Thembi's sons, until they are out of danger." Rafiki looked at her hopefully.

The lioness looked startled, she didn't know what to say. "Thembi... The Lion King..." she told to herself thoughtfully.

Rafiki nodded. "We need to act quickly, the cubs haven't eaten at all..."

She looked at her cubs for an instant. "I am not from this place, my pride is waiting for me... I only came here to give birth to my cubs, I don't even know King Thembi..." she said with visible indecision.

Rafiki approached a little bit more, until he was able to feel the breath of the lioness in his face. "Those cubs are the only thing that remain from Kitok, the Queen, and if they die, Thembi would suffer greatly... Please, the cubs need food desperately," the baboon pleaded. "Once they are strong, you will be free to return to your pride, I'll make sure of that.

The motherly instincts of the lioness were screaming at her what she had to do. After a few minutes she made up her mind. "OK, I'll help them. It would be very sad if they died, they deserve a chance to live..."

Rafiki felt very relieved. "Thank you so much. You have a such a kind heart!" he said, placing his hand on the lioness' head and rubbing it softly.

The lioness looked at him surprised. It seemed that Rafiki's hand brought some comfort to her, she could not explain it, but she liked the feeling.

Rafiki picked up two of the cubs, one under each arm, "You take that one and I'll take care of these two."

The lioness raised to her feet and stretched herself, yawning noisily.

"This way, eh..." Rafiki said, but he realized that he didn't know the lioness's name yet. "What's your name?" the baboon asked.

After shaking herself, she replied, "Dalasini."

"All right, Dalasini, let's go. We don't have time to lose," Rafiki said and started walking, with the cubs under his arms.

Picking up the last cub with her mouth, the lioness followed Rafiki. The hornbill that helped Rafiki also followed them, flying a few meters behind.

Dalasini in the meantime felt a bit uneasy after making this big decision. "I just hope I'm doing the correct thing, I hope my pride won't get too upset," she thought.

Everything had happened so suddenly... She had never met that strange baboon before, however, for some odd reason, he seemed to be trustworthy. Still, Dalasini was afraid of meeting the rest of the lionesses of a totally unknown pride.

Sensing her fear, Rafiki told her, "Don't be afraid."

Dalasini looked at him, startled.

"Thembi's pride will be very friendly towards you," Rafiki added.

Dalasini was amazed at the fact the Rafiki had apparently read her mind, but then she dismissed it as a mere coincidence. Rafiki only smiled to himself and carried on, humming quietly.

It was almost dawn when Rafiki and Dalasini arrived at Pride Rock. The lioness was impressed by the beautiful grounds.

"This place is wonderful!" she exclaimed.

Rafiki only nodded.

The lionesses of Thembi's pride saw the baboon approaching in the distance.

"Thembi, they've arrived!" Anasa shouted.

The rest of the pride raised to their feet, to greet Rafiki and the lioness that came with him.

Thembi came out of the cave walking quickly and approached the lionesses. Karanga remained next to the second cub, who was losing his body heat rapidly, same as the first cub. Both babies were weak and they moved less with each minute that passed, falling slowly into a stupor. Their stomach growled constantly, demanding food.

Seeing Rafiki accompanied by a lioness, the Lion King cheered up and ran to meet him.

"Rafiki! You found her!" Thembi said, looking at the lioness and analyzing her condition rapidly. She looked tired, but healthy.

"Yes, indeed, Thembi. She gladly offered to help us," Rafiki said.

Thembi looked at her intently, causing her to look away.

"What's your name?" the King asked.

Dalasini placed her cub on the ground and nervously replied, "D-Dalasini, your Majesty." she bowed with respect.

"Dalasini, can you feed my son as soon as possible?" the King asked, feeling a sudden pain in the ribs.

The source of the pain turned out to be Rafiki, who poked Thembi with the end of his staff on one side, after listening to him speaking as if he only had one son.

Thembi, getting the message, corrected quickly, "And his brother too?"

Dalasini nodded. "Where are they? I'll feed them right now."

Thembi rested one of his front paws on the lioness' shoulder and fixed his gaze on her. She didn't look away this time, and noticed that Thembi's eyes were red and swollen because he had cried too much.

"Thank you so much for your help, Dalasini," Thembi whispered.

She nodded, and looking away, she said, "It's nothing... Any mother would have done the same..."

"Come, follow me. I'll take you to where the cubs are," the lion said.

Rafiki picked up Dalasini's three cubs this time, and with a movement of the head, he motioned her to follow the King. Nothing bad would happen to her.

Dalasini followed the lion while Rafiki and the bird that had helped him walked to where the rest of the pride was.

"Rafiki, has that lioness agreed to feed the cubs?" Sita asked.

"Yes, Sita, I just hope it isn't too late..." the baboon answered.

"I will take this little one inside the cave, so that he can eat too," Karanga said, and grabbed the second cub with her mouth.

She took him to the cave, followed by Rafiki, who left Dalasini's cubs in charge of the other lionesses.

The bird had decided to wait around, just to find out how the cubs would react after eating, so he settled down on the branch of a nearby tree.

Kuuliza and the rest of the lionesses remained outside, praying for the cubs to survive.

Karanga entered the cave while Dalasini lay on the floor, offering food to the future king. Thembi placed the first cub near Dalasini, and at the same time, Karanga did the same with the smaller one. Thembi looked at her with distrust, but he said nothing. He just stood there, watching how his sons started eating. At the first contact with the liquid, the cubs seemed to wake up, and started eating anxiously.

"I'm glad they're eating, I was fearing they wouldn't have enough strength to eat..." Rafiki said.

Thembi sat down beside Dalasini feeling a bit more relaxed now.

"Thanks again, Dalasini. Without you, they would have died for sure."

Dalasini smiled understandingly, feeling more reassured that she had done the right thing by going to the Pride Lands and helping Thembi.

With deep sorrow, the lioness said, "I'm so sorry about the Queen, your Highness."

Thembi pressed his eyes shut and nodded silently, sighing once in a while.

Karanga approached him. Trying to comfort the King, she head-butted him gently.

Thembi opened his eyes, startled, and gave a few steps back.

Karanga felt hurt, but she didn't demonstrate it.

"Thembi," Karanga said, "we must carry on with Kitok's funeral ceremony."

Thembi nodded and walked slowly towards Dalasini.

"Dalasini, could you stay here and take care of my sons while we take care of the funeral?"

The lioness agreed.

Thembi turned around and walked towards Kitok's body. He suppressed a slight growl as he recalled that when the second cub came to this world, Kitok was forced to abandon it. That produced in him a terrible feeling of uneasiness, and he felt a great rage at the impotence of knowing that there was nothing that could be done to change things.

He lied down next to Kitok, shedding some tears.

"Rafiki," the lion called, "Can you help?"

Rafiki walked to Kitok's body and with great effort he placed her over Thembi's back. Thembi stood up, carrying the body of the lioness on top of him.

"It's time for the funeral," the lion said. "We'll take her to your tree right now."

Rafiki nodded.

The king left the cave, and with the first light of morning, the lions started the peregrination to the tree where Rafiki used to live. Once they got there, the baboon would be in charge of the Queen's funeral.  
Sita took Dalasini's cubs to the cave quickly and caught up with the rest of the pride. Thembi was walking at the front, heavily, suffering greatly because of having to carry his wife's limp body over his back... She, who had been always so skilled, agile and strong... It was too painful for the lion. He had always loved her, since they were cubs. He had never taken another lioness too seriously, saving his whole heart for Kitok and for no one else. It was impossible for him to grasp the thought that the would never again listen to his wife's laughter.  
As he walked, Thembi started recalling his cubhood, adolescence, and maturity; the memory of Kitok always present. But one of those memories, in special, brought new tears to the eyes of the Lion King.


	4. A Look into Thembi's Younger Years

_Chapter 4_

**A look into Thembi's younger years**

"Kitok, I would like to talk to you later... Tonight, maybe?" young Thembi said.

Kitok smiled. "Talk to me, huh?" she said with her melodious voice. Looking straight at the prince, she added, "And... what do you want to talk about?"

Thembi looked at her fixedly, prisoner of the magic of her beautiful eyes.

"I can't tell you right now," he said, looking around to check that no one else was listening.

Kitok smiled again and tilted her head with curiosity. "Hmm, too much mystery... Can't you just tell me a little something?"

Thembi shook his head. "It's a surprise."

"Ooooh..." She jumped from one side to another enthusiastically. "You know how I love surprises!"

Thembi didn't stop looking at her for an instant. He chuckled slightly.

Kitok stopped jumping around. "What are you laughing at?" she asked, smiling.

"You look just like a cub that has gotten double portion of meat for dinner, jumping here and there..." the lion answered, grinning at her.

She approached Thembi, getting so near, that she made Thembi shudder. Kitok smiled and whispered in his ear, "But I'm not a cub any more, you know."

The lioness turned around, and after looking coyly back at him over her shoulder, she walked away.

Thembi, fascinated, just watched Kitok walking away, but before she went too far, the lion shouted at her, "If you want to know what the surprise is, I'll be waiting for you at the water hole!"

The lioness shook her tail twice in reply, and disappeared in the distance.

Thembi sighed deeply and let himself fall down to the ground with a loud thud, feeling content. He didn't notice that his father was approaching.

"Everything all right, son?" King Haraka asked, sitting next to Thembi.

Thembi looked up a bit startled, but upon seeing the noble face of his father, the young lion sat up straight and nuzzled him.

"Dad, I have talked to Kitok..." Thembi said, sounding a bit nervous and excited.

"I'm glad, my son. Now I see why you can't wipe that smile off your face," Haraka said understandingly. "What did she say?"

Thembi sighed. "Well, I really haven't told her anything yet, but we're going to meet tonight at the water hole. She sounded excited, though..."

Haraka smiled, and started grooming his son's new growing mane. "You must look good, cub.", Haraka said.

Thembi walked away a few steps. "Come on, I am not a cub any more, dad!"

Haraka smiled. "I know, son, but I just can't get used to seeing you like this, an adult lion... Ah, I feel like I'm getting old, and you'll soon take my place."

Thembi approached his father quickly. "No, dad, don't say that... You will live for many years!"

Haraka looked at the sky sadly and sighed, as if some weight were upon him, bothering him.

Seeing that it was beginning to get dark, the King said, "Go on, Thembi. If you are having a date tonight, you'd better look good. Go and wash that face of yours, because it is still visible that you've just eaten."

Thembi grinned, and after nuzzling his father once more, the young lion walked away. He picked a comfortable soft spot on the grass, and lied down to groom himself, thinking of his upcoming date with Kitok.

Haraka smiled to himself and walked away in the opposite direction.

A few moments later, the lioness Karanga happened to walk by, and she spotted Thembi grooming himself. She looked at him quietly for a moment. Noticing that he had missed a spot on his cheek, the lioness approached him.

"Hey, do you need help?"

Thembi glanced at her. "No, thanks, I am almost done," he replied curtly.

Karanga looked nervous from one side to another, wishing to start a conversation with Thembi, but not sure what to talk about.

"So... Did you eat well?" she asked, sitting slowly by his side.

"Mmm-hhm. It was delicious." He looked up and looked at her. "You're a very good huntress, by the way. I was watching while you and the others went hunting this morning."

She felt the blood rushing to her head. "Really? Do you think so?"

Thembi nodded and carried on cleaning himself.

She looked at the horizon, trying to hide her excitement from him. "He had been watching me..." she thought.

Thembi noticed that she was nervous, and he realized that he was making the same mistake again, giving false hope to Karanga.

He stood up and started walking away. "Well, see you around."

"Oh, are you leaving so soon?" Karanga asked, trying hard to sound casual and hide her disappointment.

"Yeah, I still have some things to do."

The lioness stood up and caught up with him. "Thembi..."

"Yes?" he replied.

"I was thinking... I was planning to go for a walk tonight. It'll be full moon... Would you like to go with me?" she asked rather quickly. It had took her a lot of courage to ask him out.

Thembi looked away, and, hoping not to hurt Karanga too much, he finally admitted, "I'm sorry, Karanga, but I already have a date with Kitok tonight."

"Oh..." she said, "With Kitok. That's OK, perhaps some other time?" she asked, obviously saddened.

"Perhaps," the lion said. Trying to ignore the agitation of her pride-mate, he walked away, leaving Karanga lost in her thoughts.

The lioness had hoped that he would choose her as his queen, but her hopes were being crushed now, seeing how he spent more and more time with Kitok lately these days. Shedding a few tears, Karanga told herself, "I am glad that at least Kitok will be happy, because she also likes him very much..."

The lioness returned to Pride Rock walking slowly, head down. There she was greeted by her mother.

"Karanga, where were you?", Kuuliza asked.

Not able to control herself any longer, Karanga broke down in sobs and nuzzled her mother's neck. "Mom, Thembi wants Kitok!" she said between sobs.

Kuuliza remained silent while she stroked her daughter's back with one paw. She closed her eyes firmly, suffering along with her daughter, although it had always been obvious that Thembi showed great preference for Kitok.  
Once that Karanga had calmed down, mother and daughter went for a walk, to talk for a while and clear their minds.

* * *

"Kitok!" Thembi exclaimed startled, as the lioness sneaked up on him by the water hole. She looked beautiful under the moonlight. In the meantime Kitok also admired the beginnings of Thembi's black mane, now shiny and silvery because of the moonlight's reflection. She approached the future king and sat down beside him. Thembi was feeling nervous, she was the only lioness that could stir him up like that.

"So what was the surprise you were going to give me, Thembi?"

"Well, Kitok, it's that you... Well, I wanted to ask... Would you..." He had practised his lines for this moment a thousand times before, but now that the moment had actually arrived, nerves were getting the best of him.

"Would I what?" she asked smiling, without being able to hide her enthusiasm.

"Would you like to be the new queen of the Pride Lands?" Thembi asked, smiling nervously.

"Oh, Thembi..."

"What's wrong? You don't want to be-"

"Of course I want to! Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" she licked Thembi's cheeks fondly.

She looked straight at Thembi's eyes and asked, "Thembi, do you love me?"

"Of course I do, Kitok, more than life itself," he answered, without looking away for an instant.

"And do you really want me to be the queen that will rule next to you? Your wife?" she said, nuzzling him fondly with her nose.

"My wife, the mother of my cubs..." he replied, closing his eyes and enjoying her displays of affection.

"And you, Kitok, do you love me as much as I love you?"

She looked into his eyes. "You know I have always loved you, and I will love you till the day I leave this world..."

They spent the rest of the night together, discussing their future plans as a couple, and swearing to each other that they would stay together forever.


	5. The Naming of the Cubs

_Chapter 5_

**Naming the Cubs**

The pride finally reached Rafiki's tree. Thembi lied down on the grass for a moment, grunting slightly.

"You look exhausted, Thembi. Was the body of Kitok too heavy?" Rafiki asked as he helped slide Kitok's body off Thembi's back. He placed her under the shade of his tree.

"No, Rafiki, it's the weight of this sorrow the one that's killing me, little by little..." the lion said, looking at his wife and recalling the words she had pronounced the day he declared his love to Kitok, "Till the day I leave this world..." He never expected that day to come so soon.

The rest of the lionesses remained silent, specially Karanga, who was looking with sadness at the body of her best friend. Arming himself with courage, Thembi cleared his throat, and the funeral began.

"My pride, we are now gathered here to give the last good bye to the queen, a lioness whose feelings were kind and noble, who always had a word of comfort for the ones who were sad or wounded, a lioness who always looked after her pride... my wife-" Thembi's voice failed, and he couldn't go on.

Making a signal to Rafiki, the baboon continued with the speech. "Kitok has passed away, but she has gone to a better place, where she won't feel hunger nor thirst. We shall remember her with deep love and respect because she was so brave that she gave her own life in order to save the life of her younger son."

At this point, Thembi extended his claws and buried them deep in the ground, but only Karanga noticed this.

Rafiki continued. "We must be strong and confront reality in a positive way, we shouldn't let ourselves fall into despair. The Circle of Life goes on and nothing will stop it, there's nothing we can do to stop life from following its course. We must have strength and courage, Thembi."

The lion nodded, as did the others present.

Rafiki approached the lion, and, giving a slight pat on his back, he told him, "Don't let yourself get down, Thembi, you have to be strong for your cubs and your pride."

Holding back tears, Thembi sighed.

Feeling a bit stronger, the lion said, "Let's keep a moment of silence for Kitok."

The lions remained in absolute silence, repressing sobs that threatened to burst out at every moment.

After a couple of minutes in silence, the King carried on, "We should return to our home now. Let's say good bye to Kitok for the last time," he said, trying to sound strong.

One by one, the lionesses nuzzled Kitok's face, saying farewell to the Queen. All of them, except Karanga, had said good bye when Thembi walked to his wife's body.

"My Kitok, I will miss you... no matter what happens, I will never forget you..." and whispering more quietly, he added, "Your death will not remain unpunished, my beloved."

Speaking louder again, he said, "May you rest in peace, wherever you are, Kitok."

He licked her cheek for the last time and turned around, heading for Pride Rock. The lionesses, except Karanga, followed him. Thembi glanced back and noticed that Karanga remained by Kitok's side, motionless and crying inconsolably.

He looked at the rest of his pride and told them, "Walk back to Pride Rock, I'll catch up with you in a moment."

The lionesses went on, while Thembi walked back to where Karanga was, crying for Kitok's death. As he approached, he was able to listen to her last words of good bye for Kitok.

"...and you were my best friend, Kitok. I feel so sorry because you had to go, really..."

Thembi approached her.

"We must go back, Karanga."

She looked up, feeling deep sadness.

He stared at her, trying to cheer her up, even though he felt that he would too burst in tears in no time.

Karanga finally stood up and walked back to Pride Rock together with Thembi. Rafiki waited until they both disappeared, and after that he took care of Kitok's burial.

When the lionesses arrived to Pride Rock, they immediately entered the cave, to check on the cubs. Dalasini was cleaning one of them, while the rest of the cubs slept peacefully.

"How are they?" Kuuliza asked as she examined the five cubs.

"They're okay, but the little one is too weak." Dalasini said, referring to Thembi's younger son.

Kuuliza looked at Dalasini gratefully. "Thanks a lot for helping Thembi's sons," she told the new comer.

"It's nothing," Dalasini replied smiling.

"I think we should introduce ourselves", Kuuliza said looking around at the members of her pride. "I am Kuuliza, the oldest lioness of the pride."

One by one, the rest of the lioness introduced themselves.

"I am Anasa."

"And I am Huria."

"My name's Sita."

Dalasini smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Dalasini," she replied.

Kuuliza glanced at the outside of the cave, noticing that Thembi and Karanga were approaching.

"And the lioness over there is my daughter, her name is Karanga.", Kuuliza said.

Dalasini looked at the entrance of the cave. Thembi walked in, followed by Karanga. Both of them looked very sad, and they didn't say a word.

Kuuliza walked near the King. "Thembi, your smaller son is weak.", she whispered.

"Hmmpf," Thembi growled.

Kuuliza glanced at Karanga, who sighed deeply.

"Mom..." she said.

Kuuliza walked to her daughter, feeling uncomfortable seeing how Thembi didn't seem to care for the little cub.

"What is it, daughter?"

Karanga didn't pronounce a single word, but she nuzzled her mother's neck, looking for comfort.

The rest of the pride was looking at her compassionately.

Anasa whispered in Dalasini's ear, "The late Queen and Karanga used to be very good friends...She's devastated."

Dalasini looked at her and felt pity for that young lioness that was suffering greatly for the loss of her friend.

She was distracted when she heard a weak whine coming from Thembi's younger son.

"Come on, little one, you have to eat a little more..." Dalasini said between licks, as she cleaned the cub's head.

"Perhaps if we take them out to the sun for a while, they can warm up too..." Sita said, looking worriedly at the little lions.

"It's a good idea." Dalasini said, and she stood up, while the cubs complained at their mother's sudden movement. Thembi's older cub remained sound asleep.

"Can you help me bring them out? I can't handle all of them at the same time..." Dalasini said as she took one cub with her mouth.

"Of course," the other lionesses answered, and helped taking the cubs outside, where the bright sun caused their little eyes to press shut until they got used to the day light. Karanga came out of the cave after a while, leaving Thembi alone for a moment. She sat down next to her pride and, without paying much attention, she half-listened to their conversation.

"What are you going to call your cubs?" Huria asked Dalasini.

"She will be Sarabi...", she said, pointing at the oldest one. "She will be Sarafina," she added, pointing at the one in the middle.

"And the smallest one?" Anasa asked.

"Her name will be Ndani."

"Such pretty names! It must be wonderful to have cubs, I can't wait to have my own." Sita told her pride-mates.

All of them, even Karanga, nodded.

"What are the King's sons going to be called?" Dalasini asked.

The lionesses shrugged.

"Thembi hasn't told us anything yet," Kuuliza said.

"And, I don't think he will for now," Sita added.

They remained silent for a few minutes until one of the cubs started crying for attention.

"Calm down, Sarafina, mom's here..." Dalasini said soothingly. She fed the cub, and soon after little Sarafina calmed down.

Karanga then noticed that a blue bird with a big beak was looking at them curiously, perched on the branches of a tree. Karanga stared at him, and the hornbill noticed this.

Gathering courage, he asked the lioness politely, "Could I please take a quick look at the sons of King Thembi?"

Karanga smiled slightly and nodded.

The bird smiled, and landed smoothly next to the lionesses, not without certain fear of being attacked. But his desire for seeing the princes was stronger than his fear. With a little difficulty, he managed to distinguish the two males.

"They are beautiful, specially this one," the bird said, pointing with one wing at the older cub.

The lionesses looked at the cub and nodded in agreement. They fell silent for a while, enjoying the warmth and taking turns to care for the babies.

* * *

Rafiki went to the water hole to wash himself after burying Kitok, as he was covered in dust. After cleaning himself, he gathered on his knees to drink some water and quench his thirst. He felt tired, but he still had things to do. He must go back to Pride Rock to to let the lions know that the burial had taken place. He also had to gather herbs, plants, and other ingredients that would allow him to foresee the future.

In the meantime, Rafiki was thinking about what fate had prepared for Thembi and his sons. The older cub had the right to become King, only because he was born first. If he were to die, the younger cub would have the opportunity to follow up on his father's steps, after the King's death. Rafiki was still lost in his thoughts as he made his way towards Pride Rock. He was glad to see the pride gathered around the cubs, but he noticed sadly that Thembi wasn't with the lionesses and that he was keeping more to himself. Rafiki also noticed that the blue bird was with them.

"Oh, he's the one that helped me find Dalasini... I can finally thank him."

The lionesses heard Rafiki approaching. "Rafiki!" Karanga exclaimed, and ran to the baboon.

"The funeral is over," Rafiki announced. Karanga thanked him politely and gave him a quick nuzzle.

Rafiki raised his hand gently and he touched Karanga's face. "Don't be sad anymore, Karanga, Kitok is still with you, inside your heart."

She looked away and sighed.

"Is Thembi inside the cave?" the baboon asked. The lionesses nodded.

Rafiki glanced at the cubs, and then he looked at the bird.

Smiling, Rafiki told him, "Come with me."

The bird obediently followed the baboon to the inside of the cave.

Once inside, Rafiki walked to Thembi, who was sitting with his back turned on the entrance of the cavern. The lion remained silent, lost in his thoughts. He jumped, startled, when he felt the warm hand of Rafiki patting him on the back.

"Rafiki! I didn't hear you come in... The burial is over, I suppose?" Thembi asked.

Rafiki nodded.

Thembi closed his eyes for an instant. When he opened them again, the first thing he saw was the bird, who was looking at him with respect and admiration.

"And who are you? What are you doing here?" Thembi asked, intrigued.

The bird looked at Rafiki nervously, without knowing what to answer.

Rafiki spoke for him. "Thembi, he was the one who helped me find Dalasini; without the help of-" the baboon said, but he interrupted himself when he realized that he didn't know the bird's name yet.

"Zazu," the hornbill said, "My name's Zazu, sir."

Rafiki smiled. "Without Zazu's help, your two cubs would have starved."

Thembi looked at Zazu and said, "I appreciate your help to save the future king..."

Zazu smiled nervously. "Oh, Your Highness, it was nothing, really..." he said with enthusiasm.

"And..." Rafiki said looking at Thembi, "Perhaps a reward for his trouble is in order..."

Thembi pondered for a moment while looking at Zazu, wondering what sort of reward a hornbill would want...

"Tell me, Zazu... do you have a home?" the King asked.

The bird thought for a moment. "Well, I do, but... I don't have to go back, after all we are all leaving the nest soon anyway..."

"Zazu," Thembi said, "I was thinking that we could offer you protection against predators. You can live here with us at Pride Rock. I was even thinking that you could eventually help me scout the area by flight, and alert me from intruders..."

Zazu stared at the king as if he was hypnotized.

"Do you wish for me to help you, your Majesty?"

"Indeed," Thembi replied, "You can fly and see things from a different angle than we do. You could tell me if strangers are approaching, or where the herds of gazelles are grazing... Really, I believe you could help us a lot," the King said. "In return, we will watch over you."

Zazu was astonished. He would have never thought that he would be serving the King, or that he would have such an imposing set of bodyguards. All in all, he was very pleased with the King's proposal.

"If you want my help, your Majesty, then it will be my pleasure to assist," Zazu said, bowing.

Thembi, without losing his serious expression, thanked him again.

"Welcome to the pride!" Rafiki said with a big grin.

"Come on," Thembi said, " I will introduce you to the rest of the pride. From this day on, they will protect you and they won't let any other animal harm you."

Zazu was thrilled. He couldn't wait to learn more about the lions, to study their past, learn their customs...

They left the cave and walked to where the pride was resting.

"Look, here comes Thembi," Anasa said.

"My lionesses, I have an announcement to make," Thembi said. The lionesses immediately hushed and listened. "From this day on, we will have a helper. This is Zazu. If it weren't for him, Rafiki would have never found Dalasini and the future King would have died."

The lionesses looked at Zazu for an instant and then concentrated on Thembi again.

"Helper? What do you mean?" Kuuliza asked, a little confused.

"He will inform us where food can be found, he will keep us informed about intrusions to our lands..."

Zazu straightened himself, puffed his chest outwards, and looked at the lionesses with pride, until he heard what Thembi had to say next.

"...and he will keep an eye on the cubs and make sure they behave."

Zazu looked with wide eyes at the King and sank to the ground again, but he didn't dare to say a word.

"Take care of the cubs?" the poor bird thought, " I could barely babysit my own siblings..."

He just smiled and let out a nervous chuckle. The lionesses smiled at Zazu and said in unison, "Welcome to the pride!"

Zazu kept smiling nervously and waved the tip of his fathers back at them. "Thanks..." he whispered.

Thembi was already making his way back to the cave, when one of the lionesses called him.

"Thembi..." Sita said.

Thembi looked over his shoulder. "What do you want, Sita?"

"We were just curious... What are you going to call your sons?"

Thembi glanced at the lionesses for an instant, and stared at the ground thoughtfully. "The older one will be called Mufasa," he said at last.

"Mufasa! How nice!" the lionesses exclaimed.

"And the younger one?" Anasa asked.

With a stern grimace, that froze the lionesses' enthusiasm and happiness, Thembi said, "That one will be Hatari."

Karanga looked at him without believing what she had just heard.

"Hatari? But... That word means _danger_!" Huria said indignantly.

Thembi nodded. "Precisely."

The lionesses looked at each other and then at Rafiki, their facial expressions clearly saying "Can he actually do that?" Rafiki also stared at the King, confused.

Thembi continued, "That cub is guilty for his mother's death. He is dangerous and everyone should know."

He turned around and walked inside the cave without saying another word.

Rafiki shook his head in disapproval. "This is going to be more serious than I thought," the baboon whispered. The lionesses looked at each other horrified.

"Hatari, what an ugly name..." Sita said.

"But we can't do anything about it. He is the father, and he decided to call him like that," Kuuliza said. "If only he had turned out to be a female, we could have named her instead..."

The lionesses looked at the cubs.

Rafiki grabbed his staff and got ready to leave, repeating to himself so that he wouldn't forget the names, "Mufasa and Hatari, Mufasa and Hatari..." The baboon walked away slowly, leaving the lionesses and the Zazu lost in deep confusion.

Karanga was extremely angry. Her pride-mates stared at her, like a volcano about to erupt any minute now.

Karanga looked at her friends and said through clenched teeth, "This can't be possible. How can he do that? I will talk to Thembi right now!" Karanga said as she stood up.

"Are you sure it is wise, Karanga?, Anasa said, "The king is pretty upset at the moment, you know how he is..."

Karanga nodded. "I know, but someone has to put a stop to this. I am sure Kitok would have loved both cubs no matter what..."

She walked straight to the cave and faced Thembi, while the other lionesses waited outside in anticipation.

"You are not naming the cub like that! Change that name immediately!" she said, unable to hold back.

Thembi looked at her and his face turned into a more stern expression.

"Who do you think you are in order to enter my cave like that and give me orders in that tone of voice?", the King growled.

There were so many things Karanga wanted to tell him at that point...

"That cub isn't responsible for Kitok's death and you know it!" she hissed. "It was an unfortunate accident, but that innocent cub did not plan for this to happen! It's the Circle of Life!"

Thembi growled louder. "He _is_ responsible. It was all his fault. Now get out of here, before I lose my patience," Thembi said turning his back on her.

Karanga shook her head. "No, I am not leaving until you give a decent name to that cub!" she said firmly.

Thembi turned again and faced her, snarling menacingly. "That cub's name will be Hatari, and I don't want to hear another word about it. I am warning you," Thembi snarled, baring his teeth at her.

Karanga didn't look away. Even though she loved him with all her heart, she lost her patience. "I'll de damned if I let you treat him like you treat me..." she thought. The frustration she felt from Thembi's rejection towards her, from his lack of interest in her, and now his lack of interest in that tiny cub, it all came together at that moment and she couldn't help herself. She raised a paw and slapped Thembi across the cheek, claws partly extended.

He was clearly surprised by her reaction, and, lifting a paw to his cheek, he touched it, to confirm whether Karanga had drawn any blood from his face. Her blow wasn't that hard and the King's face remained unharmed, but his pride didn't.

She backed away a few steps, startled by her own action.

Thembi fixed his gaze on her, and shook his head in disapproval. "You have made a terrible mistake, Karanga," he said, approaching her.

She continued backing away from him, fearfully, until she couldn't move anymore. She was trapped between the wall of the cave and Thembi.

"You," Thembi whispered at Karanga's face, "You have hit me. The King. How dare you?"

Karanga swallowed and tried to recover her composure. "What are you going to do, banish me? Kill me?" she asked, looking into his eyes. Her voice might have sounded confident but Thembi could sense she was still afraid.

He laughed out loud. "Kill you? Why in the world would I do that?" he said, and turned around, walking away from her.

He looked at her over his shoulder. "I think I know of a better way to punish you," he muttered to himself.

Without another word, he left the cave.

Karanga, still inside, sighed. "I am so stupid... I-I couldn't control myself, I was so angry..." she said out loud to nobody in particular, no one was there to hear her except the dark walls of the cave.

Nervously, she walked out of the cave. She ran across Kuuliza.

"My daughter, what happened? Thembi stormed out of the cave, and he looked furious..." Kuuliza said.

Karanga sighed. "Mom, I... I hit him."

"You did what?" Kuuliza asked in awe.

"I hit him! On the face! He was threatening me, he told me he wouldn't change the cub's name... He was baring his teeth at me, I just couldn't stand it any more!" Karanga said in despair.

"Okay, what's done is done... Try to calm down now," Kuuliza told Karanga.

Karanga looked away thoughtfully. "He says he won't banish me or kill me, but I'm sure he's planning something to get back at me..."

Kuuliza glanced around making sure no one was listening to them, and then looked at her daughter again.

"Listen, Karanga, whatever punishment you get, because we all know he _will_ punish you somehow, try to be strong, try not to look too worried about it, don't give Thembi that satisfaction."

"Yes, mom, I will try..." Karanga replied.

"Come on, let's go to check on the cubs while we wait for Thembi to return," Kuuliza suggested.

Karanga nodded and followed her mother, still thinking on what she had just done to Thembi.

"I can't believe I slapped him... He must be very angry..." the lioness thought, as she sat down beside Dalasini and looked at Hatari for a while.

"I want to clean him... May I?" Karanga asked Dalasini.

"Sure, he's all yours," Dalasini replied.

Karanga picked up little Hatari with her mouth and began cleaning the cub's ears. The little lion closed his eyes, apparently enjoying the caressing sensation of Karanga's warm and gentle tongue.

"You don't like Mufasa?" Sita asked, admiring the beauty of the older cub.

"Sure I do, but there's something about Hatari... I feel he will need all the attention that he can get. Mufasa is bound to be pampered a lot by everyone, specially his father," Karanga said between licks.

The lionesses knew she was right.

Hatari, too young to realize what he had inadvertently caused by coming into this world, simply continued to enjoy Karanga's care and warmth.

* * *

Rafiki had gathered everything he needed in order to foresee the future. He was at the top of his baobab tree, mixing some herbs with soil, water and the inside contents of a golden gourd in a tortoise shell. Looking at the mixture, he nodded and added a little more water, and shook the shell in a circular way. He left the shell in the floor and waited for its contents to settle down. He took a look around him, and noticed Thembi walking not far from there.

"Poor Thembi, he must be devastated..." Rafiki thought. He dropped out of the tree and walked to where Thembi was pacing back and forth.

"Hello, Thembi. Are you all right?" Rafiki asked.

Thembi turned around and looked at him. "No, Rafiki, you know I am not," the lion said, sighing deeply. "I miss my wife so much it hurts, and now I must punish Karanga."

"Punish her? Why?" Rafiki asked looking worriedly at the King.

"She hit me, right in the face. She lost all respect," Thembi said sternly.

"Oh... But why? Did you two have a fight?" the baboon asked, wondering what could have possessed Karanga to do such a thing, when Thembi's vindictive temper is quite well known by everyone.

Thembi closed his eyes as he spoke. "She wanted me to change the cub's name. I told her I wouldn't change it, warned her to let it go, and then she just hit me, out of the blue," the King said, totally clueless as to what was really going on in Karanga's mind at that point.

"Everyone is going through a rough time at the moment, Thembi... Can't you just forgive her?"

"No. She needs to learn her lesson and her place," Thembi snarled, dismissing Rafiki's suggestion immediately.

Rafiki looked at him. " So, how do you intend to punish her?"

Thembi looked at the horizon. "She will hear about it when the time is right."

"Try not to be too rough with her, Thembi, you know she loves you..." Rafiki said, hoping to calm Thembi down a bit.

"If she really loved me, she'd respect me and my decisions. I see this is not the case now."

Rafiki knew a lost battle when he saw one, and decided to leave the King alone now. "Before I leave... are you completely sure you will name your cub Hatari?"

Thembi rolled his eyes. "Yes, he will be Hatari, and that's the last thing I want to hear about it! From everyone!" the lion grunted and walked away, angrier than he already was.

Rafiki watched him leave, without saying another word.

"Hatari will be his name," Thembi repeated to himself as he went off to patrol the area, hoping to be left alone for a while.


	6. Karanga's Punishment

_Chapter 6_

**Karanga's Punishment**

Rafiki returned to his tree, feeling very disappointed in Thembi's attitude. He sat down next to his tortoise shell while letting out a deep sigh.

"I must clear my mind, otherwise I won't be able to concentrate on this..." he thought, taking deep breaths and trying to calm down.

He inhaled deeply several times, with his eyes closed. He tried to think on something nice, like how beautiful Thembi's sons were. He managed to relax eventually. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on the mixture he had in front of him. Looking at it carefully, he began analysing each of the figures that had appeared when the herbs and soil had settled down. Studying them carefully, the baboon began muttering to himself.

"Aha... I can see... There will be a new queen, but... hmm, it is not too clear..." he mumbled.

He looked at another shape. His face suddenly changed. His expression became a mixture of fear and worry.

"I can see... two big lions, and a small one..." he said, interpreting the shapes in the shell just as he had been taught by his ancestors.

He continued studying silently, and after some minutes, he looked up and put his tortoise shell aside. The baboon sighed deeply. "It seems not only Hatari, but also the new Queen will have a difficult life..." he said, as the information he just gathered sank in.

* * *

The lionesses were preparing for the hunt. Thembi hadn't returned yet, but all the females knew he must be hungry.

"Dalasini and Zazu, will you take care of the cubs while we are out, please?" Kuuliza asked.

Zazu nodded. "Of course, my lady."

Dalasini agreed, "You know you can count on me with that. As soon as I am able to hunt again, I will help you too," she said.

Sita looked at her as she sharpened her claws against a rock. "I wonder, Dalasini, do you think your pride is looking for you?"

"Not really," Dalasini answered, "I have already sent them a message with a messenger; my pride knows I am okay, and that I will be back soon."

"Oh, that's good. We wouldn't want them worrying about you." Sita said, and she continued sharpening her claws.

Karanga was stretching herself and loosening her muscles a little, when she realized Thembi was approaching.

Karanga ran to her mother. "He's here..." she whispered at Kuuliza's ear.

"Don't worry honey, everything is going be okay, you'll see," Kuuliza said, licking her daughter's cheek lovingly.

When Thembi reached the lionesses, he said, "I see you are getting ready to go get some food."

"Yes, we are, Thembi," Anasa said.

"That's good, our rations are running low," he said, looking at the depleting amount of left over-meat.

Kuuliza stood up, shook herself and called the rest of the lionesses. "Well, let's go, everyone!"

The rest of the pride followed Kuuliza, who was the hunt leader, and left Thembi behind.

"Karanga!" Thembi called, sternly.

She pricked her ears, and, after looking for a few seconds at her mother, Karanga looked back over her shoulder.

"Yes?" she said, trying to hide her anxiety.

"You stay here. You won't join the hunt today, because we need to talk," he said coldly.

Karanga looked at her fellow lionesses. "Take care, all of you..." she told them, and walked back to where Thembi was.

"Good bye, and good luck!" Thembi shouted to the hunting party.

"Thanks! they shouted back and faded in the distance.

Thembi waited until they had disappeared, and then, without looking at Karanga, he said, "Come on, we will talk inside the cave."

Karanga nodded, and she followed the lion quietly.

Dalasini and Zazu watched the scene with interest, wondering what Thembi would tell Karanga.

The lion walked inside the cave, followed by Karanga. They both sat down facing each other, the tension visible between the two of them.

"Well, Karanga, you know why I called you here," he said, looking straight at her.

She nodded. "Thembi... I-"

"I am talking, don't interrupt me," he snarled.

Karanga remained silent and just looked at him, trying to look strong and confident.

"I have been thinking about your punishment." Karanga blinked a couple of times trying not to look away, but couldn't keep the eye contact much longer and stared at the floor instead, defeated.

He cleared his throat. "I was going to choose you as the new Queen, but I wouldn't like to have for wife a lioness who wouldn't respect me."

Karanga's eyes opened wide. She opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came.

"So," Thembi continued, "I've decided I will choose another lioness for queen." Karanga felt her eyes watering. He certainly knew how he could hurt her the most.

"So... Is that it?" she asked, trying to sound confident, without achieving it, her voice was trembling slightly.

"I'm not over yet," Thembi said.

"What else, then?" she asked, feeling as she were sinking into the ground.

"I don't want you near Hatari," Thembi added, looking at the entrance of the cavern sternly. He turned his back on Karanga.

Karanga was way too confused to say anything at this point.

"That's all, you can leave now," he said coldly.

"What do you mean? I can't be with the cub?" she asked, trying to understand.

He nodded. "You won't groom Hatari, you won't keep him warm, you won't be near him, it's that simple. Am I being clear now?"

Karanga felt her sadness turn into anger, her feisty temper clashing again with Thembi's impositions.

"Don't you think you are over-reacting a little here?" she asked, her voice raising slightly.

"I will not discuss this! You won't get near him and that's all! You are dismissed, and I hope you've learned your lesson. Maybe next time you will show more respect to your superiors," Thembi growled.

Karanga's mouth was hanging open. "Your _superiors_? I know you were meant to be King and all, but come on, that never stopped you from rolling around in the grass with me, and from playing together, just like a _commoner_! Why the distinctions all of a sudden?" Karanga paused for a moment, and added softly, "Thembi, what happened to you? Why did you change so much?"

Thembi looked at her coldly. "It's enough, Karanga. Get out before you regret it." he said, trying to ignore her words.

Recalling she had promised her mother to be strong in front of Thembi, she muttered, "All right, _Your Highness._"

She left the cave, running hastily. Karanga kept running until she arrived to the water hole. The stars were already visible, and she looked at them, crying finally after her tense encounter with Thembi.

"Why did I ever want to be his wife in the first place? What got into me? And why do I still love him and why does it still hurt so much?" she asked the stars.

She looked down again and closed her eyes tightly. "He knew how to punish me... Murdering me would have indeed been more merciful than this..." she whispered, crumpling to the ground and sobbing repeatedly. She was also worried for Hatari, so far she seemed the only one really interested in that cub, and wondered what his fate would be without her care.

Karanga stayed by the water hole until she heard the distant roars, announcing the return of the hunting party. She got up slowly, and with a heavy heart she headed back to Pride Rock, to tell her mother what had happened.

* * *

"Yeah! But the best part was when Sita jumped on its back! This zebra didn't even see what knocked it out!" Anasa said.

"Yeah, too bad Karanga had to miss this hunt!" Huria added.

"I was wondering why the King called her back... Do you think he's asked her to be the new queen already?" Sita asked.

Kuuliza listened to the comments of her pride-mates, and sighed silently.

"Wow, imagine that we return and we already have a queen!"

"Yeah, we are all very glad for Karanga, aren't we?"

"Sure we are, it's no secret that she loves him very much."

Pride Rock was ahead, and the lionesses saw Thembi sitting on the promontory.

"Look, there he is, waiting for us," Sita said.

"I am still wondering why in the world he named his cub Hatari..." Huria whispered.

"I think that he will change the name, as soon as he stops grieving Kitok's death," Anasa replied.

As the lionesses approached, Thembi walked down the promontory, licking his lips at the thought of food. He had already seen that the lionesses were dragging a zebra with them, and he felt his mouth watering. After a few minutes, the lionesses arrived.

"Here you are Thembi, we hope you enjoy this meal," Sita said.

Thembi licked each lioness on the cheek, and thanked them. "As always, thanks for your effort, my pride."

They went to sit down and rested a bit, while Thembi ate.

Kuuliza looked around, searching for her daughter. Since she didn't find any trace of her, she approached Thembi. He growled instinctively as he sensed someone coming near him.

"Sorry to bother you, but do you know where my daughter is?" Kuuliza asked.

Thembi looked up briefly. "I don't know. After I talked to her, she left and I haven't seen her. But she better return soon, because I have an announcement to make." Thembi concentrated on his meal again and continued eating.

Kuuliza looked at him, hesitating for a moment. "Nothing... has happened to her, right?" she asked distrustfully.

Thembi swallowed his food and looked at her. "You daughter is okay, I'm sure she's learned her lesson."

Kuuliza sighed, and left him. She joined her pride-mates, and tried to calm herself. She was really worried about Karanga, and she was hoping that Thembi hadn't hurt her too much.

Thembi finished eating and stood up. He sat down a few meters away and started cleaning his muzzle with a paw. The lionesses knew that it was their turn to eat now.

They began eating, but Kuuliza didn't feel very hungry, so she ate very little. Instead, she kept scouting the area hoping to see Karanga approaching.

"Kuuliza, won't you eat anything? Even the cubs eat more..." Sita said, nuzzling her pride-mate.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry, Sita, I'm worried about Karanga. It's getting dark, and the hyenas are already out there..."

Sita nuzzled her once more. "Don't worry, I bet she is fine, she knows how to take care of herself."

Kuuliza sighed, and she looked once more at the horizon. A tawny form was approaching, slowly, but steadily.

"Karanga, is that you?" Kuuliza, shouted.

Thembi pricked his ears and looked at the approaching lioness.

Karanga walked nearer and her mother ran to her.

"My dear, where were you? What happened? I was getting worried!" Kuuliza said, as she licked Karanga's face. She could taste her cheeks were salty because of the tears.

"You've been crying, my Karanga..."

Karanga nodded silently. "Mom, I-" Karanga started to say, but Thembi interrupted them.

"Well, Karanga, it was about time time you showed up."

Karanga looked at him sadly.

Thembi walked to a small rock and climbed it. Once he got to the top, he said, "Pride, come here, I want to make an announcement."

The lionesses started gathering around the rock, but Karanga lagged behind. Kuuliza noticed, and waited for her.

Karanga thought, "An announcement? Did he already pick another lioness, that quickly?"

Karanga told Kuuliza, "Mom, he will pick someone else... " she said, holding back tears.

"But, dear, how do you know that?"

"He said so when-"

"Karanga and Kuuliza, I am waiting for you," Thembi called.

"Okay, you will tell me later, honey." Kuuliza nuzzled her daughter quickly.

They joined the rest of the lionesses and sat down. Karanga kept staring at the ground looking disappointed.

Thembi cleared his throat. "You all know I will never forget Kitok," he said solemnly, and the lionesses nodded.

"But you also know that the Pride Lands need a Queen."

The lionesses nodded again, most of them glancing towards Karanga

"After some consideration, I have finally chosen who will be the new queen."

The lionesses looked at him expectantly. It was obvious that Thembi had preference for certain lionesses, but deep inside, each one of them fantasized every now and then about being chosen as the Queen.

"The new queen will be..." Thembi ignored the faces of excitement of each lioness, and looked straight at Karanga, who still seemed to be more interested on the ground in front of her.

"The new queen will be Karanga."

She looked up with wide eyes. "Me?" she asked, her jaw trembling. "But- But I don't get it, you said-"

"What I said is between us. Why, you don't want to be the queen any more?" he asked, showing little emotion.

"I- I guess I do, but-"

"Then come up here, Karanga."

Karanga looked at her mother with wide eyes.

"I guess he decided to pick you after all..." Kuuliza whispered.

Karanga looked at Thembi again, full of confusion and doubts.

"I am waiting for you, Karanga," the King said.

Karanga walked to the rock and climbed it, standing beside Thembi.

"Hail to Karanga, the new Queen," Thembi said, not sounding too thrilled himself.

The lionesses apparently didn't notice and they all roared happily, congratulating the new Queen of Pride Lands.

Zazu was ecstatic. He had never seen a 'ceremony' of that kind, and he felt so glad to be there.

Karanga looked down the rock, towards her friends roaring, but her mind was too confused to enjoy the moment. "Thembi but you-"

"Don't say a word, we'll talk later," he said through clenched teeth.

Karanga kept silent, and gave a fake smile to her pride-mates who were blissfully unaware of what was going on between the two of them.

Thembi cleared his throat again and the lionesses hushed immediately.

"Karanga, my sons are now your sons too. You will care for them as such. Even though Dalasini is feeding them, she will leave us one day, to go back to her pride. So you will be Mufasa and Hatari's mother from this day on," he said, not looking at her, but staring into the horizon.

Karanga gasped. "You mean... the little one also?" she asked, even more surprised than she was before.

Thembi nodded. "Well, I guess that's all. Thanks for your attention," Thembi said, and stepped off the rock. He disappeared in the darkness of his cave.

Karanga in the meantime walked to where Dalasini and the cubs were, amidst all the congratulations from the lionesses. She gently picked up Hatari and Mufasa by the scruff of their necks, an excellent excuse to not have to talk to anyone, she didn't feel like it. Karanga carried the cubs inside the cave. She lay down and held them between her paws, licking the cubs' little heads lovingly. "I'll be your mommy now... I'll make you proud, Kitok, I promise!" she whispered softly.

The rest of the lionesses silently walked away, leaving the King and the new Queen alone with their cubs for a moment. Zazu followed the lionesses and sat down on a nearby tree, where he could keep an eye on the rest of the pride, as they rested and napped after a good meal.

* * *

After silently cleaning the cubs for several minutes, Karanga asked Thembi, "Why are you doing this to me? Why did you tell me I wouldn't be Queen? Why did you forbid me to care of Hatari, and now you are taking it all back?"

Thembi looked at her. "As much as it pains me, you are the best huntress in the pride, and the most suitable to take care of things."

Karanga tilted her head. "Does it _pain_ you to have to choose me after all?" she repeated, incredulously. "Well, there are many more lionesses out there who are great hunters too. You certainly don't have to sacrifice yourself or do me any favours," she added, feeling hurt.

Thembi approached Karanga and whispered. "Let's be honest, Karanga. You know I don't love you the way I loved Kitok, and I never will." He paused for a moment, waiting to see Karanga's reaction. She simply stared at the cubs quietly. "But this pride needs stability and strong leadership. I would be endangering the pride by choosing someone else who is less suitable."

Karanga looked at him, dawning upon her that Thembi had chosen her just because she was young, healthy, assertive and a good hunter. There were no romantic feelings in his decision at all, and that hurt her immensely.

"What about the cubs, then?" she asked, "Will you let me take care of Hatari too?"

Thembi sighed. "I made a promise to Rafiki, that he would look for a lioness to feed the cubs, as long as I allowed both of them to be fed and taken care of. So do with Hatari whatever you please."

Karanga nodded, and nuzzled the now sleeping cubs.

"Just a warning, Karanga...", Thembi added, whispering softly. Karanga looked at him.

"Never ever hit me again, Karanga. Next time, I won't be so tolerant."

"It will never happen again," she replied curtly. Thembi nodded and walked away from her. He flopped on his side and pretended to take a nap, but his thoughts were too troubled, and he was not able to fall asleep.

"So that was it," Karanga thought, "I'm the queen after all, but I always pictured this as a very happy moment. Instead, I feel so... empty..."

She sighed. "Okay, Hatari, your name is not important. You are a beautiful cub, and I will love you always," she said, nuzzling the little cub. Eventually she fell asleep, holding the cubs close to her, to keep them warm.

The rest of the pride joined them later. They all found it a bit strange that the King and the new Queen were sleeping on opposite sides of the cave, but no one dared to say anything about it.


	7. The Presentation of the Cubs

_Chapter 7_

**The Presentation of the Cubs**

Karanga's sleep was very light and she woke up when she heard the lionesses coming into the cave. She looked around sleepily as they lay down nearby. She knew that it was awkward for her not to be lying next to Thembi, so she picked up the cubs and moved closer to him, to prevent any uncomfortable questions.

"Hey, Karanga, now that you are the Queen, what are you going to do? Have you got any plans?" Anasa asked talking softly.

"Plans? Well, for now I'm going to take care of the two cubs, and help Thembi in ruling the Kingdom, I suppose," she replied.

Kuuliza nuzzled her and whispered at Karanga's ear, "Dear, you never told me what Thembi's punishment was..."

"I can't talk about it right now, mom," she answered.

Kuuliza understood and didn't question her any further. Karanga looked down at the sleeping cubs and licked Hatari on the cheek. Karanga smiled at the cub and told him, "You are so beautiful, my little Hatari..."

Thembi, who was still pretending to be asleep, pricked his ears and listened to the lioness. "So beautiful, yeah, right," he thought angrily. He decided to focus his thoughts on Mufasa instead. A very important ceremony was about to come, the presentation of the cubs. Thembi frowned slightly, knowing that Hatari would have to be presented also, because the second cub still had the chance of becoming King in case something happened to Mufasa. Thembi grunted and shifted position. He managed to fall asleep after that, but his dreams were troublesome and restless, he kept turning from one side to another, and he was breathing rapidly.

Karanga was still awake and looked at Thembi as he slept.

"I was afraid Kitok would be angry if I became your wife, but given the circumstances, I don't think she has nothing to be mad about..." she thought, turning to look at the sky through the entrance of the cavern.

Karanga sighed and snuggled against her favourite cub, and held him close to her chest. The cub was still fast asleep, and after a few minutes, Karanga joined him too. She dreamt of several unimportant things, but suddenly, she saw herself back in the cave, and was amazed to see the silhouette of a white, translucent lioness walking towards her. Even though it was a dream, the lioness seemed to be so real... Karanga looked intently at her and she recognized the face of her best friend.

"Kitok!" she exclaimed in her dream.

Kitok smiled. "Karanga... I miss you! I wish we had had more time together..."

Karanga listened intently, feeling extremely peaceful all of a sudden. There was no trace of sadness, she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Please take good care of Thembi," Kitok went on, "He's not thinking straight right now. Make him a happy lion again..." the ghostly image of Kitok said.

"I will try, but it's going to be very hard..." Karanga answered.

Kitok nodded, and no more explanations were necessary. It was as if they could read each other's minds; they both knew what the other was thinking and feeling. Kitok knew the hard time Thembi was giving to Karanga, and could only encourage her to be strong and hang on.

Suddenly, Kitok's face turned into a more serious expression.

"What's wrong, Kitok?" Karanga asked.

Kitok shook her head. "I must go now, Karanga, but I want to ask you a favour..." she said, as she started fading away slowly.

"Yes, Kitok, tell me..." Karanga said calmly.

"Take care of my younger cub..."

"Of course I will, you have my word," Karanga whispered, as she saw her friend disappearing.

"He will have a tough life, always obscured by the shadow of his father and brother..." Kitok said, and then faded completely.

Darkness engulfed the cave again.

At that moment, Karanga woke up and sat up straight, startled. She looked around breathing heavily, but there was no sign of the ghost of her friend. She could still feel her heart pounding on her chest as she recalled her dream.

Karanga looked down when she heard one of the cubs whining. She fixed her gaze on Hatari and whispered, "I promise, Kitok..."

Karanga took a deep breath and lied down again. Even though she felt a strange calm surrounding her, it was long before she could fall asleep again.

* * *

The day of the presentation had finally come. Zazu was very happy to help the King in spreading the good news. He told the other animals about the ceremony, when and at what time it would be carried on. Thembi was grateful for the hornbill's help; Zazu had proved to be a useful addition to his inner circle.

The sun started illuminating the savannah with its warm rays. Thembi and the lionesses woke up when the sunlight hit their faces.

"Finally! The day of the ceremony!" Sita said as she stretched herself and let out a noisy yawn.

The rest of the lionesses began grooming their fur as the sun continued rising in the sky. The animals were starting to gather at Pride Rock, and chatted happily about what they were just going to witness.

Thembi walked to the promontory and looked down at the animals, who looked up at him expectantly. He roared loudly for everyone to hear. Those who had not made their way to Pride Rock yet, heard Thembi's imposing roar and hurried to clean themselves, heading there fast as they could. Thembi watched as a group of zebras came galloping from the east, and some elephants approached walking slowly. He stood there, watching the animals gather, and after several minutes, among all the animals present, he spotted Rafiki heading towards their lair. Thembi smiled. Once Rafiki got there, the lion greeted him.

"Thanks for coming, Rafiki."

"How could I miss this?" Rafiki said, patting Thembi on his back.

Rafiki and Thembi walked into the cave. Karanga was holding the two cubs between her legs, and she looked at Rafiki smiling. He was happy to see that the Queen was feeling better and less depressed, ever since Kitok visited her in her dreams.

"Hello Karanga, you are looking well," Rafiki said to the lioness.

"Thanks, Rafiki," she replied. Karanga then nuzzled both cubs, who were looking around with eyes wide open, becoming more and more curious about their surroundings with every day that went by.

"Now, let me see..." Rafiki said as he examined the cubs, "Let's start with the older one."

"Go on, Mufasa, go with Rafiki," Karanga said, as the baboon picked the cub up gently. Mufasa's legs hung in the air limply, apparently he didn't mind being held by Rafiki at all.

Thembi's chest swelled with pride.

The rest of the lionesses were watching the scene, and none of them made a single sound.

The baboon anointed Mufasa's forehead with the juice from one of the gourds that hung from his staff, and spread some dirt on top of it. Mufasa stared at the baboon with curiosity.

"There we are, little Prince. What a good cub!" Rafiki said.

Karanga and Thembi couldn't help but smile.

Rafiki picked up Mufasa and held him close to his chest. "Now it's time to show you to the rest of the savannah, little one," the baboon whispered, and walked out of the cave.

Karanga and Thembi followed him, the rest of the lionesses walking behind them too.

The animals were watching expectantly, and they were excited to see the cub Rafiki was carrying. When Rafiki reached the tip of the promontory, he held Mufasa up for all the animals to see.

They all cheered and clapped yelling, "Look at the Prince! Hail to the Prince!"

The cub looked at all the animals as they bowed. He enjoyed the view, and looked from one side to another, until Rafiki held him down. At that moment, Thembi took a step forward and waited for the crowd to calm down.

As soon as silence reigned again, Thembi shouted to the crowd, "My son's name will be Mufasa."

The crowd cheered again, shouting, "Prince Mufasa! Prince Mufasa!"

Rafiki gave the cub back to Karanga, and picked up Hatari. "It's your turn now," he said, as he anointed Hatari's forehead with the juice and dirt. The cub seemed to be afraid of him and kept squirming.

"Don't worry, Hatari, I won't hurt you," Rafiki said soothingly.

Hatari looked at him, wrinkling his tiny nose slightly. Rafiki simply smiled. He picked up Hatari and took him to the tip of the promontory. The cub whined softly and was terrified, even though Rafiki kept talking soothingly to him. He lifted the cub up for everyone else to see, and the crowd cheered again.

At this moment, Thembi turned around and stared in the opposite direction. Not everyone had a good view of Thembi at the spot where he was standing, but those who could see him hushed considerably, wondering why the King had turned around. Rafiki didn't notice this, he was more concentrated trying to hold on to the struggling cub, who was clearly enjoying this a lot less than Mufasa did.

"You see? This isn't so bad..." Rafiki whispered at the cub's ear, trying to calm him down. Eventually he succeeded and Hatari stopped struggling.

He lowered the cub and turned around. It was until then that he saw Thembi looking to the west, ignoring the cub's presentation. The baboon frowned as he placed Hatari between Karanga's paws. Karanga rolled her eyes and shrugged at Rafiki. She didn't feel like getting into yet another argument with Thembi right now. Instead, the Queen kissed the cub lovingly.

"You were afraid, Hatari?" she said softly, while the cub looked around, still a bit uneasy.

"Thembi!" Rafiki hissed, "what are you doing?"

At that moment, the King turned around again and walked to the tip of the promontory. The animals fixed their looks upon him. Thembi cleared his throat.

"That cub's name will be Hatari," he announced.

Only a few animals clapped, but the rest of them looked at each other in complete silence, wondering if they had heard correctly.

"Hatari? they whispered amongst themselves, "Why in the world did he choose such a name? It's so unusual..." they wondered.

Thembi continued speaking. "Well, thank you everyone for coming to the presentation of the Prince, who, I know, will be a great King someday."

The animals clapped at the speech politely, and a few of them did notice that Thembi had spoken as if he only had one son. Something must have happened with the second cub that's causing the King's rejection, they thought.

They started walking away, discussing this unusual presentation.

In the meantime, Thembi walked back to the lionesses. Karanga was looking at him.

"Brilliant display out there. Bravo," she whispered sarcastically.

Thembi rolled his eyes. "Let's not start again, Karanga. I told you, you can do whatever you want with Hatari, but my son is Mufasa, and he will be the King. The throne is not for murderers."

Thembi picked up Mufasa with his mouth, and walked away. Hatari looked at the lion and followed him with his eyes for a moment, as the King walked down the promontory. The lionesses looked at each other sadly and walked away silently.

Rafiki approached Karanga and patted her head softly. "Things are not going very well, are they, Karanga?" he asked her.

Karanga looked around briefly making sure the lionesses were far enough. "No, Rafiki..."

She hadn't talked to anyone about what was really going on between her and the King. Even Kuuliza didn't have all the facts. Karanga simply told her that her punishment had consisted on being told that she would never be Queen, only to be taught a lesson.

Rafiki sat next to her. "Want to talk about it?" he asked.

Karanga looked at him for a moment, and then looked away, embarrassed. "I feel ashamed of myself for putting up with all this. I should just take Hatari and leave this place, but I promised Kitok..."

"One single lioness and a defenceless cub won't stand a chance out there, you know that," Rafiki said.

Karanga nodded, she already had pondered that too. "I just need to be strong and maybe one day things will get better..."

Rafiki looked at Hatari, who was attempting to stand on his wobbly legs. "I have to warn you, Karanga... This cub will suffer a lot. I saw it in my shell," the baboon confessed.

"I know Rafiki, Kitok came to me in my dreams and warned me," she replied, sighing deeply.

Hatari looked up and fixed his gaze upon the baboon. Rafiki looked into his green eyes. The baboon tilted his head as he looked at Hatari. "I wonder..." he said.

"What?" Karanga asked.

"He is very little, but I ask myself whether he already knows that something is wrong..." Rafiki said.

"You think so?" Karanga asked, looking at the cub.

"There is something in his eyes. I just can't put my finger on it. Some sort of sadness..."

Karanga looked at Rafiki. "But... he is so young to realize that..." the lioness said.

Rafiki nodded. "He is little, but smart," he replied.

Karanga looked at the baby again and licked his head. The cub closed his eyes and pressed his soft nose against Karanga's body, looking for food.

"I'm sorry, Rafiki, but I must return to the cave now. Hatari is hungry and Dalasini must be feeding her cubs by now..."

"All right, Karanga. Take care of yourself and your cub," the baboon told her as he gathered together all the items he had brought with him for the ceremony.

"Good bye, and thanks for everything." Karanga picked Hatari up and carried him to the inside of the cave, where she ran across Thembi.

"Thembi, can we talk for a second?" she said, after leaving Hatari under Dalasini's care.

"Fine, let's go outside," he said curtly.

They left the cave together and walked to the shade of a nearby tree.

The King looked at her silently.

"I just want to ask you something. More like a favour," she told him, holding her head up high.

"Hmmm, I wonder what sort of favour you would ask from me..." He circled her, pacing slowly. "Let me guess... It has to do with that cub of yours, am I right?" he added sarcastically.

"I just want you to promise that you will not hurt him... It has already been established that you don't feel any kind of love for him, and I guess I'll have to learn to live with that. But, can you at least try not to make him suffer unnecessarily? Please?"

Thembi looked away for a moment. "Let's strike a deal. You keep him away from me, and I'll do my best to ignore his presence. How does that sound?"

He looked at Karanga again, his cold eyes giving her a shiver.

Karanga narrowed her eyes a bit. "Ignoring someone can be very hurtful too, you know."

"Take it or leave it, Karanga," he said, knowing very well she was also talking about herself and how distant he's been towards her lately.

After pondering for a moment, she said, "Fine. So be it."

"It's settled, then," Thembi said, "He won't have trouble with me as long as he stays out of my way."

Karanga turned around and left without saying another word and without looking back.

Thembi watched her leave. "I guess things could have worked out for you and I," he thought, "but that damned cub is getting between us just as he did between me and Kitok... How long can you keep it up, Karanga? How long?"

Thembi shook the dust off his mane and left to patrol his territory, thinking mostly about how he would pass on his knowledge to Mufasa once he was old enough.


	8. Cubs at Play

_Chapter 8_

**Cubs at Play**

A few months went by. The cubs were growing up quickly; Zazu had a hard time keeping them all out of mischief. Mufasa would often play with Sarabi and Sarafina, while Hatari spent most of the time exploring and playing by himself. He longed for some company, but Thembi had ordered all the lioness cubs to stay away from him. Thembi had been very firm about it, so the little lionesses preferred to leave Hatari alone.

Karanga was not aware that Thembi had spoken to Sarabi and Sarafina. But she did notice that Hatari didn't spend much time with the other cubs, and was beginning to get worried about it.

One morning, after watching her stepson playing alone, while Mufasa and the other cubs played together, Karanga decided she would talk to Hatari later on, to find out what was going on.

In the meantime, Hatari was feeling a bit thirsty after having ran around in circles for a while, chasing his own tail. He decided to go for a drink, and made his way to the waterhole. As he drank, he heard someone else approaching. Hatari raised his head quickly, looking from side to side, until he realized that it was Sarabi. Hatari relaxed when he saw the familiar face, and attempted to start a conversation with her.

"Oh, it's you, Sarabi. You scared me for a moment!" the cub said, and smiled in a friendly way.

Sarabi just looked at him and half-grinned. She bent over and started drinking water, keeping an eye on her surroundings as she did so.

Hatari looked at her, biting his lip thoughtfully.

"Say, I invented this new game... Want me to show it to you?" the cub asked innocently.

She raised her head and looked at Hatari for a moment. Far behind him, in the distance, she could see the shape of Thembi standing up on the promontory, probably keeping an eye on things. "No, thanks," she said, "I can't play now, I gotta go home, mom said she'd be waiting for me..."

Hatari looked away. "It's okay, maybe I can show you some other time, what do you say?" he asked, trying to sound as cheery as he could.

Sarabi shrugged. "Maybe... we'll see... Anyway, see ya!" She turned around and started walking away.

Hatari looked at her for a moment, and decided to try again. "Hey! I'm done drinking, so I'll just walk back home with you."

Sarabi stopped for a second. She glanced at the promontory and saw that Thembi was no longer there. She told him, "Okay, if you want..." and hoped that they wouldn't be seen together.

Hatari smiled and caught up with her.

Both cubs walked quietly. Hatari was thinking of something to say to her, when Sarabi sighed.

Hatari looked at her. "You okay?"

"Eh? Oh, sure." She shrugged and continued walking silently, glancing frequently in the direction of Pride Rock.

Hatari kept walking, wondering what was bothering the lioness. "What's the matter, Sarabi? You don't feel like talking?" he asked.

Sarabi just shook her head.

"Oh..." the lion said, looking disappointed.

He turned to her again and asked, "Are you angry at me? Is that why you don't want to talk to me? I already said I was sorry for accidentally pushing you into the mud the other day..."

She shook her head again, and looked at the cub. "Hatari, look, I'm not angry at you, I just... I just can't talk to you okay? Please, leave me alone. I don't want to get into trouble."

Hatari looked at her, confused. "You'll get into trouble for hanging out with me? What sort of nonsense is that? Please, just tell me why you are angry and I'll see what I can do about it!"

Sarabi looked back at him over her shoulder, and glanced at Pride Rock again. Thembi was back up at the promontory. "I'm sorry, I need to go!" And without saying another word, she turned around and ran away as fast as she could.

Hatari sat down, glancing first at Thembi on Pride Rock, and then looking again in the direction in which Sarabi fled.

"She almost sounded afraid of something..." he told himself. "Anyway, how can I say I'm sorry, without even knowing what is bothering everyone? Even father seems to be bothered by something."

His face brightened up for a moment. "I'll ask mom, maybe she can explain to me what is going on."

He ran all the way back home, wondering if Karanga could help him sort out what was troubling him. He looked around for her, once he reached Pride Rock. The lionesses were all lying down, some stretching, others sleeping. He spotted Karanga, now sitting next to Thembi on the promontory. He walked to her, cautiously.

"Mom?" he called.

Thembi looked at him coldly for a moment, and then gazed into the distance again.

Karanga turned to the cub. "What is it, dear?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but glancing at Thembi, sitting so close by, he hushed and just looked at her a bit fearfully.

Karanga understood, and stood up. She told Thembi, "I'll be back later."

The King nodded.

"Come, Hatari, let's go to the cave," she told the cub.

Hatari nodded and walked with her, relieved. He had already learned his lesson about _bothering_ Thembi with his presence. Hatari had gotten too close to the King one time, and ignored Thembi's warnings. The blow he received from Thembi had been hard enough to make Hatari walk with a limp several days after the incident. Ever since then, the cub knew it was better for him to keep his distance.

"I- I just wanted to ask you something..." Hatari said shyly, once it was safe for him to speak again.

Karanga looked at the cub. "Well, I also have a question for you, honey. Let's just sit somewhere and talk for a while, okay?"

Hatari glanced back at Thembi, still sitting outside, and shuddered.

The cub thought, "Why does he scare me so much? He's my father! I wonder if he's ever hit Mufasa too..."

In the meantime, Karanga looked for a comfortable spot to lie down. She finally sat down, making sure that there was no one else nearby. Hatari sat down beside her. Karanga looked at him and licked his cheek.

"Now, tell me, what's your question?"

Hatari grinned. "No, you tell me yours first."

Karanga nodded. "All right." She looked into Hatari's eyes. "My little one, I have noticed something strange..."

Hatari looked back at her. "Strange?" he said.

She nodded. "Mufasa and the other cubs play together, but I don't see you joining in with their games. Can you tell me why is that? Do you prefer to be on your own?" Karanga asked.

Hatari looked down, sadly. "Mom, my question to you was going to be why the other cubs don't want to play with me."

Karanga blinked a couple of times.

Hatari carried on, "I don't know why the others dislike me so much... I've asked if I can join their games, of course. I don't like to play alone all the time. But they never let me play along." He looked at Karanga again, hopeful. "I was hoping you'd know why... Was it something I did or said?"

Karanga closed her eyes as she listened to the cub's words.

"It does get lonely sometimes, playing on my own. I do wish sometimes I had a friend to play with."

Karanga opened her eyes. "My Hatari, have you tried talking to the other cubs about this?"

Hatari nodded. "I tried talking to Sarabi earlier today. Asked her to play with me and all that. She totally blew me off, and said she'd get into trouble for hanging out with me. I don't know what she means by that, mom. It's not like we were going to do anything bad," he said, his disappointment clearly showing.

Karanga glanced at Thembi's silhouette outside, realization dawning on her. He must have threatened the other cubs to stay away from Hatari. "I'll see if I can talk to them and find out what's bothering them. Is that okay?", she told Hatari, who was distractedly tracing random figures on the ground with a claw.

He looked at her and nodded. After short while, he dared to ask her an even bigger favour.

"Mom?" he said.

"Yes?"

Hatari struggled with his words, clearly unsure about how to pose his question. "Could you, I mean, I was thinking... I don't know if you can but... Would you be able to find out what's bothering Father too?"

Karanga held her breath for a moment.

Hatari went on, "You see, he seems to get along with Mufasa just fine, so it's pretty clear I've done _something_ to make him extra angry. I'd like to know why, you know? Maybe if I apologize and say I'm sorry? What if I promise I won't do it again?"

Karanga hugged the cub tight. "My dear cub," she thought, feeling as if her heart was breaking, "if you only knew how many nights I have spent trying to convince your father that you are not a murderer..."

Holding back tears, Karanga simply said, "Okay, son, I will ask him too. But for the time being, keep your distance, like you've been doing so far. Okay?"

"Yeah, I will..." he said, snuggling between Karanga's forelegs.

Karanga groomed the cub quietly, and noticed the cub was staring at her.

"What are you looking at, honey?" Karanga asked.

Hatari bit his lip nervously. "Mom... The other day Ndani was saying some mean things... I said I'd tell on her, you know? I said that I'd tell my mom about it and all, but then she said that you are not my real mom, and that my real mom is dead. Is that true?"

Karanga paused her grooming session for a moment and looked at him. "I'm afraid it is true, Hatari," she admitted.

Hatari had more or less expected her to deny it, so he was taken aback by her reply. "So... What happened to my real mom?"

"Well, we are not quite sure," Karanga told him sincerely, "Kitok simply passed away shortly after you and Mufasa were born. Your father then chose me as the new Queen, and I'd swore to him I would take care of you two as if you were my own cubs."

"Oh... I see..." Hatari replied, thoughtfully. He eyed Karanga again after a short moment. "What was she like? Was she as pretty as you are?" he asked, trying to form a mental picture of Kitok.

Karanga laughed out loud. "Your mother was a lot prettier than I am, and she was very strong and brave. An excellent huntress too. Your father loved her greatly, and he didn't take it very well when she passed away. Ever since then, he has not been himself," she explained.

Hatari stared at nothing in particular, thoughtfully.

"But I will tell you this," she went on, "your mother loves you dearly; she told me so in a dream."

"Really? In a dream? That's awesome!" the cub said enthusiastically.

"Yes, Hatari. Listen, don't worry about her death too much. I promised her that I would take care of you, so you will never be alone. Understood?"

"Yes, mom," Hatari whispered.

"And if Ndani ever brings it up again, tell her that even though I am not your real mom, I can still have a talk with _her_ mom about her behaviour."

Karanga smiled at Hatari, who nodded at her and grinned in return.

Karanga glanced outside. "I think it's time we start thinking about dinner... Your father gets extra grumpy when he is hungry... Now that's something to worry about!" she said laughing a bit.

The cub chuckled too. "Thanks for the talk, mom," he said, head-butting her softly.

"Any time, my baby," she said, licking the young lion's head. "I will go get us some food now, okay?"

Hatari walked by her side, as she made her way to join the rest of the lionesses.

"Now, Hatari, go hang out with your brother for a while, and I will hunt something special for you."

Hatari nodded, but he added in a low whisper, "Please, whatever special treat you bring to me, hide it from dad, he will give it to Mufasa..."

Karanga sighed. "Don't worry, son. Even though your father doesn't let you eat until the end, I will never let you go hungry."

Hatari looked up and smiled. "Good luck with the hunt," he told her, and headed off in the direction where Mufasa was playing.

Karanga looked lovingly at the cub; she had grown very attached to him lately.

"Hey, Karanga, are you coming or not?" Kuuliza called.

Karanga turned around and faced her mother. "Coming, mom!" the Queen said, and walked away together with the other lionesses.

Thembi roared good bye from the promontory, and the lionesses roared back at him.

The King sat there lazily for a while, as he waited for the lionesses to return. Without much interest, he watched Hatari approaching Mufasa. Thembi lied down on his belly and half-listened to the cubs' conversation.

"Hey, Mufasa, guess what mom just told me?"

Mufasa looked at him. "Well?" he asked walking to his brother.

"She told me that she would talk to Sarabi and the other cubs about what was going on."

"Great!" Mufasa said, and he added, "I asked Sarabi about it today, but she said she couldn't tell."

Thembi pricked his ears as he tried to listen better.

Hatari sighed, and looked at his brother.

"I mean, Mufasa, just look at you, you are so strong and all... I bet that's why the lionesses don't like me, I'm all skinny...", Hatari said, comparing his small, slim body with his brother's, who was brawnier and stronger.

Mufasa grinned. "Oh, come on, that can't be the reason. That would mean no one would play with Ndani either," Mufasa said, referring to Dalasini's youngest daughter, who was also smaller and skinnier compared to Sarabi and Sarafina. "There must be something you did, you just have to remember what it was..."

"I really can't remember anything, I swear!" Hatari said, looking worried.

"Think harder! Maybe you said something nasty to them?"

"Mufasa, you know I rarely speak to the other cubs, and when I do, I really try to be as friendly as I can..."

Mufasa shrugged. "Well, Hatari, I guess we will just have to wait and see if mom can find out what's going on..."

Hatari nodded and stared at the ground thoughtfully. "Must be really nice to to have friends...", he said softly.

"Well, yeah, it is. Playing together is always fun, and sometimes they can also help you when you're in trouble."

Hatari's eyes began to shine with tears. "That sounds so awesome, Mufasa... I feel a bit jealous..." the younger cub admitted.

"Don't worry, Hatari, you will make friends very soon if all goes well," Mufasa said, nuzzling his brother.

Hatari tried to keep his tears inside and smiled. "I hope so..."

Mufasa looked up. "Hey, look, here comes Anasa with her new cubs."

Hatari looked in the same direction.

"There's Sarabi and Sarafina too..." Hatari said, moving his tail from side to side nervously.

Suddenly, Mufasa had an idea. "Hey, Hatari, let's try something... "

"Huh?" Hatari said, but Mufasa didn't answer.

Sarabi and Sarafina walked to the future king. "Hi, Mufasa! We went for a walk with Anasa, and we saw a really icky dead badger! It was SO GROSS!" The two young lionesses giggled while pulling nauseated faces and pretending to throw up.

"Eww...gross indeed... Anyway, I'm glad you are back now!" Mufasa said.

Hatari remained silent, licking one of his paws, trying to appear nonchalant.

"So, girls, want to play something?" Mufasa asked.

"Yeah!" the lionesses answered in unison.

"Okay. Hatari will join us too. It will be fun!" Mufasa said, matter-of-factly.

"I will?" Hatari asked softly.

Mufasa grinned at his brother triumphantly.

The lionesses' happiness faded quickly.

"Hatari?" Sarabi asked nervously.

"Why not?" Mufasa said, "You were complaining the other day that we were missing one player for "bury-the-bone", so there you go. Come, Hatari!"

Hatari looked at his brother and smiled.

"Awesome! Can't wait to play!" the small cub exclaimed.

Sarafina opened her mouth to say something when she realized that Thembi was looking straight at them intently, obviously listening to their conversation. The young lioness still remembered very well the instructions Thembi had given her and Sarabi a few weeks ago.

Closing her eyes for an instant, she said, "Mufasa, I'm sorry, but if Hatari is playing, then I am not."

"Me neither," Sarabi added.

Hatari's ears folded backwards and his tail drooped.

"Well, Mufasa, I guess this wasn't such a good idea after all..." the cub said, feeling hurt. He turned around and ran away.

"Wait! Hatari!" Mufasa called, but Hatari kept on running.

Thembi followed him with his eyes and smiled to himself, looking satisfied.

"Just what is your problem?" Mufasa asked the lionesses angrily, "Why do you treat him like that?"

Sarafina and Sarabi looked at each other.

"We really can't tell you, Mufasa, we're sorry..." Sarafina said.

"Fine!", he snapped, "Well, guess what? I am not in the mood for games any more. You two go play together or something," Mufasa said, feeling moody about his plan not working out.

He walked away from Pride Rock and flopped on his belly next to a nearby tree, staring thoughtfully at the horizon.

Thembi, who had witnessed the complete scene, chuckled to himself. "Very well done, girls," he thought, "You are obedient, and that is a great quality in a Queen... because I'm sure that one of you will be the next Queen of the Pride Lands..."

Sarabi and Sarafina were whispering something, but hushed and pricked their ears when they heard Thembi calling them.

"Sarabi, Sarafina, come here, please," Thembi said.

"We're coming, your majesty," Sarabi replied.

They looked at each other nervously this time, as they walked to Thembi's side.

"Come here, girls, sit down."

The lionesses sat down obediently.

"I noticed that you are obeying my orders. I am very glad about that."

Sarabi felt rather uneasy, but decided to voice her concerns after all. "We know that you have your reasons, your majesty, but we really feel bad about treating Hatari like this. He's trying really hard to be nice, you know? And now even Mufasa is angry with us..." she said. She didn't dare look Thembi in the eye as she spoke.

Sarafina joined in, agreeing with Sarabi, "We don't like making Hatari feel bad..."

"Don't worry about Mufasa, he will get over it," the King replied. "As for Hatari... I didn't want to tell you, but since you seem concerned..." He paused for a moment, and looked at the lionesses with a sad expression. "The reason I don't want you close to him, is that he is not _right in the head_, if you know what I mean. He hurt his mother real bad when he was younger, and I am afraid that he might end up hurting you too... "

The lionesses were speechless, and they looked at each other with wide eyes. They never thought much about Hatari's name, but it now became clear why he was called that way.

Thembi smirked triumphantly for a brief moment; his smirk faded quickly when the cubs turned to face him again.

"I hope this makes things clear. And remember, not a word about this to anyone, understood?"

The lionesses nodded quietly.

"Now... Forget about Hatari for a minute. I want to discuss another subject with you," the King said, looking straight at them.

The lionesses listened carefully.

"Girls, do you like this place?" Thembi asked.

The cubs looked around.

"Yes, sure do!", Sarafina answered.

"And," Thembi added, "Will you feel sad when you leave?"

Sarabi tilted her head, confused. "Huh? Why must we leave?" she asked.

"Well..." Thembi said, as he wondered how to use the situation to his advantage, "Your mother has been talking lately about returning to her pride soon, but... I have grown very fond of you four, so I'd really like it if you were to stay with us. If you were to leave, Mufasa and myself will feel very, very sad..."

Sarabi looked at Sarafina and said softly, "I don't want to go, I like it here! I would also miss Mufasa a lot..."

Thembi cleared his throat. "Perhaps... Perhaps you can try and persuade your mother to stay? I don't know... Maybe you can tell her how much you both like it here, and how you don't know the other lions in the other pride, and how much you've grown attached to this pride... What do you think?" he suggested.

Sarabi looked at the King. "We'll talk to mom, see if we can convince her to stay..."

Sarafina agreed, "Yeah, we'll talk to mom and tell her that we want to stay here, and that this is our home!"

Thembi smiled at them. "All right, girls, that would be all for now. Now go out and play, and if Mufasa is still angry later on, let me know and I will talk to him."

The lionesses bowed politely and walked away from the promontory, whispering discretely about what Thembi had just told them about Hatari.

As Thembi saw them leave, he let out a sigh of satisfaction. He liked it when things worked out according to his plans. While the King had indeed grown fonder of Dalasini, he was very aware that if she left, there would be four lionesses less in his pride. Dalasini was a good hunter, too. She had joined the hunting party the last couple of times, and had proved to be quite good in the thrill of the chase. Thembi was determined to make Dalasini stay with his pride, even if he had to use and manipulate Dalasini's daughters for this purpose.


	9. Intruders in the Pride Lands

_Chapter 9_

**Intruders in the Pride Lands**

Hatari was walking slowly, sobbing every now and then. Eventually he came to a stop and sat down, trying to control himself.

"They all really hate me, but why?" he thought, feeling sorry for himself.

He couldn't blame Mufasa for trying, but he was deeply hurt by the lionesses' words. It took him several minutes before he could calm down a bit.

Hatari looked up at the sky when a flock of birds flew over him noisily. It was already getting dark, and the stars were slowly becoming visible.

Hatari had always been curious about those shiny dots that only appeared at night. Unfortunately, Thembi had never told him about the Kings of the past, and how after they die they ascend to the heavens, where they keep an eye on everyone, high above in the sky. There was so much Thembi had not taught to the cub. Hatari hadn't had a single hunting lesson, he was not aware about the delicate balance that kept their kingdom together, and the disaster that could happen if this balance was disturbed. He still had so much to learn.

The cub kept gazing at the sky intently, as if looking for answers to all the questions in his mind. No answers came, but he did feel a soft breeze that helped dry the tears off his face. He looked down once again and started licking one of his front paws absent-mindedly.

In the distance, Hatari could hear Thembi and the lionesses roaring. The cub turned his face to Pride Rock. The hunting party was probably back, and from the sounds of it, they had food with them.

Hatari snorted slightly. "I shouldn't hurry all the way back home," he told himself, looking at the ground. "After all, I must wait until everyone else has had their share..."

Hatari was determined to stay away a little longer, but the thought of food triggered his appetite and his stomach started growling constantly.

"If only I weren't this hungry..." he muttered.

With a deep sigh, Hatari stood up and started walking back to Pride Rock.

Even though his mind was still troubled, he tried to hide this as best as he could. So when Hatari arrived to where Thembi was feasting, the cub greeted everyone politely.

"Hello. How was the hunt today?" he asked the lionesses in general.

"Ah, Hatari, we almost lost our prey today, but we managed to hunt this zebra down thanks to Dalasini!" Huria replied, lounging and relaxing after having had a difficult hunt.

The rest of the lionesses joined in, praising Dalasini's efforts that resulted in a good meal for tonight.

Hatari grinned at them but stopped paying attention to the conversation after a while. He stared at the food longingly instead.

Karanga looked at the cub and whispered in his ear, "Are you hungry?"

Hatari nodded.

"Well, don't worry, son. Thembi will finish soon and I'll save for you a nice piece of meat. Would you like that?"

"Yes! Very much!" Hatari said, smiling at Karanga.

He head-butted Karanga's chin a few times, but stopped when he saw Mufasa and his two best friends approaching.

"What is it, dear?" Karanga asked, sensing that her cub was becoming restless for some reason.

Hatari closed his eyes and snuggled next to Karanga's paws.

"It's nothing," he said, looking away, still feeling angry at them.

Karanga licked his head quietly and looked at the approaching cubs.

"Hey, dad, I'm hungry too! Hurry up, I want to eat too!" Mufasa said jokingly, as he teased his father by nipping his tail and climbing on his mane while he ate.

All the lionesses became alarmed at Mufasa's sudden playful display.

Karanga called him. "Mufasa! Come here right now! You know you shouldn't bother your father while he is eating!"

Thembi looked away from his meal for a moment and glanced at the hungry Mufasa.

The king licked his chops a couple of times. "So, you're hungry, hmm?"

Mufasa nodded. "Yeah! A lot!"

Hatari could sense Karanga's tension. He stared at the two lions excitedly, wondering whether Mufasa would finally get punished for something, for a change.

Thembi pondered for a brief moment. Finally, he said, "Well, son, come and join me then."

"Yay!" Mufasa shouted, and started eating also, sitting next to the King.

The rest of the lionesses were looking at them with wide eyes.

"Wow, he must really love Mufasa, not every lion would put up with this, you know..." Anasa whispered to the others.

"Yes, you are right," Kuuliza replied, "I think that not even King Haraka shared his meal like this!"

Karanga was also staring at Thembi, as he shared his meal with Mufasa. She didn't notice when Hatari got up and started walking towards them. Eventually she caught a glimpse of the cub out of the corner of her eye; Hatari was definitely heading towards the food.

"No, Hatari! Come back!" she hissed, but the cub didn't pay attention to her. Karanga knew very well that Thembi would not tolerate any other cub near him at this point, much less Hatari.

She ran to Hatari and tried to stop him, but it was too late. Thembi had already realized that _the hateful thing_, as he used to call the cub, was getting nearer. The King stood up, growling menacingly, and faced his younger son.

"Get out of here," he hissed, while baring his teeth at the cub.

Even Mufasa had stopped eating, wondering what had gotten into his brother. He stood behind Thembi and made warning gestures with his face and paws. "Get back! Get back!" Mufasa mouthed frantically.

Hatari felt his jaw quivering, but he kept glancing at the juicy, fresh meat and at his brother, back and forth. "I am- I am hungry too, perhaps I could sit next to Mufasa... I promise I'll be quiet..." the cub whispered, his voice shaking slightly. He didn't dare to look at his father in the eye.

Thembi's usually cold eyes appeared to be on fire now. He grabbed the cub's chin with one paw and turned the little face towards him, forcing Hatari to look at him.

Hatari gasped and tried to run away, but his father's grip on his tiny jaw was very firm.

Thembi looked into Hatari's eyes, and whispered softly, so that only Hatari was able to hear him, "Listen, cub. I've had enough. If you ever come near me again, whether I am eating or not, I will punish you so hard that you will not live to cry about it afterwards. Is that clear?"

Hatari closed his eyes firmly and tried to escape again, but Thembi just tightened his grip further. "Answer me! Is that clear, Hatari?", he repeated, growling at the cub.

Hatari whispered an almost inaudible 'yes'.

"Good," Thembi said, releasing the cub roughly, "go back to Karanga now, and wait for your turn."

Hatari ran straight back to Karanga's side and hid between her paws. Karanga had never seen the cub this scared before.

Karanga picked up Hatari and walked away a few meters. She put him down and looked at the cub confused. "Oh, Hatari, why in the world would you do that? Remember you must keep your distance, like we agreed!"

The cub just stared at the ground and nodded, still shaking visibly.

"What did Thembi say?" she asked, sounding worried.

"Uh, nothing, mom," the cub answered, visibly perturbed.

"No, you are telling me," Karanga insisted.

Hatari sighed. "He just told me the same thing you always tell me, mom. Not to get near the male lion when he is eating, and that he'd punish me if I did it again," he said, hiding from Karanga the must hurtful thing Thembi had ever told him; that he would kill him next time. "I should have known," he added, bitterly.

Karanga tried to comfort him. "There, there, it's okay now..."

Hatari didn't say anything back. He knew it was not okay, but he decided to keep this from her, trying to prevent yet another argument between his parents because of him.

In the meantime, Karanga looked at the King; he was eating nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.

Mufasa was also eating, although less enthusiastically, and there even was a bit of a guilty look on his face now.

The rest of the lionesses were still staring at Mufasa and Thembi, as they ate together. None of them gave much importance to what had happened between Thembi and Hatari, because it was the most common thing. The male will always drive away pesky cubs who start teasing him while he is eating. Hatari basically 'had it coming', according to the lion's rules. Instead, Thembi had let his older son eat with him, which was the strangest part of all. The lionesses were more impressed by Thembi's unusual behaviour towards Mufasa.

After Thembi was done eating, the lionesses gathered around the meal. Hatari kept a considerable distance and looked at them disinterestedly, having lost his appetite after his encounter with Thembi.

"He basically told me he would kill me... Why? Why?" he thought as he lied down on the hard stone floor of Pride Rock.

"Why didn't he tell the same thing to Mufasa when he approached him? That's so unfair!" he muttered angrily.

He curled into a tiny ball and rested his head on his paws, feeling as lonely as he had never felt before.

Eventually, he felt someone nuzzling his cheek.

"Honey, look, I brought you part of the leg, your favourite!" Karanga whispered in the cub's ear.

"Thanks mom, but I'm not hungry any more." He looked away so that she wouldn't notice he had been crying a bit.

She noticed all right, and she knew his sudden lack of appetite was not normal either.

"My son, are you sure that's all Thembi told you a few minutes ago? You seemed to be so scared after you talked to him..."

Hatari nodded silently as he looked at the zebra leg he had in front. "Yes, mom, I told you already. I was just scared he'd hit me again, that's all."

Karanga looked at him, worried. "Come on, honey, eat something... You know meat is getting scarcer these days, who knows when we will have a good meal again," she said, nuzzling the cub and pushing the zebra leg towards him.

Hatari started eating reluctantly, while Karanga kept guard so that nobody would steal away Hatari's meal.

* * *

Thembi was in the cave, thinking about what just happened between him and Hatari. The King felt strangely satisfied after seeing genuine fear in Hatari's eyes, and hoped that he wouldn't been seeing much of the cub in the next upcoming days.

Suddenly, Zazu came flying into the cave, looking alarmed.

"Sire, I just saw some hyenas approaching, I think they are after the lionesses' latest catch!"

Thembi snarled angrily. "Lead me to them, Zazu."

The bird nodded and together they left the cave hastily.

"Karanga!" he shouted. The lionesses turned to looked at him. "You must guard the food; there are hyenas nearby! I'll take care of them right now!" Thembi yelled.

"All right! Let us know if we can help!" Karanga said. The pride stood up and looked around, alert to any strange noise or smell they might catch.

Thembi climbed down the promontory and headed off, guided by Zazu.

Hatari looked at the lionesses with curiosity, as he could sense their excitement in the air.

He approached Karanga and asked, "Mom, what's a hyena?"

Without looking at the cub, she said, "Hatari, hyenas are very dangerous animals. They like to steal our food and will attack you without any doubt. They are very strong and could crush you with one single bite. You have to be extremely careful. If you see one, you come right home immediately, you hear me?"

"Um, what do they look like?" Hatari asked, so at least he could identify them if he ever saw one.

Karanga glanced at Hatari for a moment. "They're rather ugly, if you ask me. Dark pelt, with spots, huge ears and ridiculously small hind legs. They make a whole lot of noise too." she added, wrinkling her nose slightly just at the thought of a hyena.

Karanga and Hatari remained quiet for a while, both lions paying close attention to their surroundings.

"How come they are so mean? Why do they steal our food instead of hunting their own?" he asked after a little while.

"Well, son, they do, but when the meat goes scarce, the hyenas come to poach here, and sometimes they also steal what we've already hunted. They have been banned from our territory for ages, but they still keep sneaking in sometimes. One of the King's tasks is to drive them away and keep us safe." Karanga said, nuzzling the cub and licking away a few red stains on his cheek.

Hatari nodded, thoughtfully.

"Finish your dinner quickly now, so that the hyenas won't be attracted to it, and get back in the cave as soon as you're done, okay?" Karanga told him.

"Okay, mom," the small lion said and carried on eating.

As he ate, he could hear Mufasa, Sarabi and Sarafina playing near the entrance to the cave.

"This game is so boring, let's play something else!" Sarabi complained.

"Well, what do you want to play then?" Mufasa asked, sitting next to the lionesses.

"How about... I know! Let's play 'Hyena'!" Sarafina exclaimed, sounding very excited.

Mufasa and Sarabi looked at each other.

"What's that? I've never heard of that game before." Mufasa said.

"Well, it's because it's a new game I invented!" Sarafina said proudly.

Mufasa groaned. "Not one of those!"

"You know, Finnie, this new game of yours had better be good, or you will be playing in the mud, you can count on that!" Sarabi said, teasing Sarafina, whose games were sometimes too complicated and elaborate for the other cubs' tastes.

Mufasa laughed along with Sarabi.

Sarafina grimaced and stuck out her tongue at them.

"So, what is the 'hyena' game about?" the lion asked.

Sarafina cleared her throat. "Well, one of us gets to be a hyena-"

"Not me! Sarabi interrupted.

"Me neither!" Mufasa added with a grimace of disgust.

Sarafina rolled her eyes. "Will you just let me explain what this is all about?" she half-snarled.

"Okay, okay, go ahead!" Mufasa said, winking at Sarabi. She winked back at him and listened to Sarafina's rules of the game.

"So, the one who gets to be the hyena, will sit over there..." she said, pointing at a small rock with her paw, "And the rest will ask questions about what the hyena is doing at that moment."

Mufasa and Sarabi looked puzzled.

"For example," Sarafina said, "we'll sing this tune, it goes like this: _'We will play on the savannah, while the hyena's not there, if the hyena shows up, we will all be dead!_" Sarafina sang.

Mufasa liked it and snickered, "Heh, catchy tune! And then what?"

Sarafina continued, "After we sing the song, we ask: _'Hyena, hyena, are you there?'_ And the one playing the hyena will have to answer something, whatever you like. For example, _'No, I am just waking up from a nap'_ or something like that."

Sarafina paused for a moment. "Then we sing the tune again and ask the question. The hyena will have to answer something else, like _'No, I'm washing my face in the water hole'_ or whatever. The idea is that when we least expect it, the one playing the hyena will shout _'Yes, I'm here!'_, and then the 'hyena' will chase the other players. The first one who gets caught gets to be the hyena for the next round."

Sarabi looked at Mufasa. "Well, this one actually kinda sounds like fun...", she said.

"So," Sarafina said, "Are we playing then?"

Mufasa smiled. "Yes, but you get to be the hyena!"

Sarafina wrinkled her nose at him playfully. "All right then!" she said, walking to where the 'hyena' was supposed to sit.

Hatari had finished his dinner in the meantime. He sat down nearby and watched the cubs play, but he had given up on trying to join in their games for now. He opted to stay away and spare himself the rejection.

Hatari lay down, feeling a bit drowsy. His stomach was full, but his heart felt empty. Thus far, the only ones who seemed to notice he was alive were Karanga and Rafiki. Sometimes the rest of the lionesses would talk to him, but they were too fascinated with the charms of Mufasa that they seldom paid attention to him. Therefore, Hatari was very surprised when Zazu landed beside him all of a sudden, and started making conversation.

"Good evening, master Hatari. Everything calm around here? Nothing unusual going on?"

Hatari sat up straight and shook his head.

"Good. Your father just chased away some hyenas who were making trouble up by the northern border," the hornbill said.

Hatari looked at the bird, intrigued. He was about to ask more about the chase, but noticed his father was also approaching. Hatari shuddered and tried to make himself as small as possible. Thembi saw the trembling cub sitting beside Zazu, but ignored him completely. The King entered the cave and lied down, licking his paws. Karanga followed him. Once Hatari felt it was safe to move again, he let out a deep breath and looked at Zazu.

"What kind of trouble were the hyenas making?" Hatari asked.

Zazu looked at him. "Well, what I heard from your father was that they were trying to hunt for food in the lions' territory."

"Weird," Hatari said thoughtfully, "I would have never thought that looking for food here was a crime. I've seen the wild dogs do it, and the cheetahs..."

Zazu nodded. "What I have learned is that the rivalry between the lions and the hyenas has been going on for quite a while. It seems that at some point the hyenas were just taking too much without giving anything back. Sometimes they would kill for fun, and not just to feed themselves. Lots of lives were lost that way, and precious resources went to waste. That's what got them banned from the Pride Lands; the other animals didn't disrupt the balance, but the hyenas did. So ever since then, they get punished if they trespass on the lions' domains..." the hornbill explained.

"I see..." Hatari said, wondering how bad the situation could have been, so as to decide to ban all the hyenas, and not just the specific trouble-makers.

Zazu looked around for a moment and said, "I think I will go fly around and patrol the area a bit more, just in case. You never know, the hyenas might come back..."

"Okay, see you," Hatari replied, watching Zazu take off. The bird circled the area and kept an eye on the cubs from above.

Hatari turned around and walked into the cave, still thinking about what Zazu just told him. He wanted to snuggle beside Karanga and get some sleep, but once inside, he was able to hear Karanga and Thembi, discussing something heatedly. Hatari stopped on his tracks immediately, and pricked his ears trying to find the best angle to listen better to their conversation.

"But are you sure, Thembi?" Karanga asked.

"Yes," he replied, "I told her to leave and take her stinky pups away from here."

Karanga sighed. "I can't help feeling a bit sorry for them... She's a widow now, and she'll have to take care of those pups on her own..."

Thembi grunted. "Who cares, it's hyenas we're talking about here!" He paused for a moment, and then muttered under his breath, "And that stupid pup, trying to attack me, the nerve. I tell you, he had it coming."

Karanga looked away. "Still... such a young life ending so quickly... I guess being patient with him was totally out of the question, hmm? Come on Thembi, he was just a pup, probably not even aware of the rivalry between hyenas and lions!"

"Patient with him? I have no patience for hyenas, young or old!" Thembi snarled. "The mother should have known better than to bring her pups into forbidden territory.

At that moment, Hatari couldn't stop himself from sneezing. Knowing his cover was blown, he just entered the cave nonchalantly and greeted his mother, trying to appear calm.

"Hey, mom... Is it okay if I go to bed now? Or should I wait outside a bit longer?" Hatari asked softly.

Thembi looked away while Karanga nuzzled the cub.

"It's okay, we were almost finished. Why don't you go lie down over there? I'll be with you in a minute," she whispered.

Hatari nodded and went to lie down in a corner, far from Thembi's reach.

Thembi and Karanga exchanged a few words, but Hatari could no longer understand what they were saying. He saw Thembi walking out of the cave, looking sour.

Karanga just shook her head and rolled her eyes, and walked back to Hatari, visibly upset. She lay down next to the cub. "All right, time for bed now."

"Mom?", Hatari asked, hesitating a bit, "What happened to those hyenas? I heard Father and you talking about them," he admitted.

Karanga sighed, and then looked at the cub and whispered, "Honey, your father just had a fight with them, and he had to kill two of them, to protect us."

"One of them was a pup. I heard it," Hatari said softly, almost whispering, "someone really young, maybe as young as I am..."

Hatari suddenly realized that his father would probably not hesitate in carrying out his death threats. The cub was, after all, no more important than a hyena was to Thembi.

"Mom... I don't feel safe here any more..." Hatari confessed to Karanga. His words brought tears to the Queen's eyes.

"You know I'll always watch over you, Hatari, you have no reason to fear," she replied, trying to sound reassuring.

"Father killed a hyena pup, how can you be so sure I won't be next?" he asked, fearfully, feeling very confused.

"I told you, Hatari, I won't let that happen. You will have to trust me, please," she said, more firmly this time.

"No... I'm... I'm scared..." He couldn't control himself and stood up hastily. He left the cave running without saying another word.

"Hatari! Wait! Come back!" Karanga shouted, but the cub kept on running, ignoring Karanga's calls.

The lioness cursed, and went running after him.

Hatari only stopped running when he felt he was far enough from Thembi, where he felt safe. He sat down and sighed deeply. His mind was racing with everything he had just heard.

"Father killed a hyena pup... That can't be in 'self defence'," he thought, "whether hyenas are mean or not, I bet that pup must have been terrified... a bit like how I felt a while ago... " Hatari started to cry, feeling terribly lonely and scared.

He was so distressed, crying and sobbing, that he didn't notice Rafiki approaching him.

The baboon had been gathering a few plants when he saw the weeping cub in the distance, so he decided to go and see if he could be of any help.

Rafiki patted Hatari on the back, gently. Hatari jumped back startled, baring his teeth almost instantly, but he sighed in relief when he saw it was only Rafiki.

"It's you..." Hatari whispered, still shaking a bit.

Rafiki looked at him kindly and kissed the cub's wet face. He sat down beside Hatari, who snuggled next to Rafiki's legs.

"What's troubling you, Hatari?" Rafiki asked, drying the cub's tears with his hands.

Hatari looked up and snorted a bit. "Let's see... Where to start... I got no friends, no one likes me, and my own father hates me. Yes... I think that's pretty much it," he said, sounding more angry than sad.

Rafiki patted him between the ears. "Of course we like you, Hatari. We love you very much."

Hatari shook his head. "Maybe you and Karanga don't hate me, but everyone else does. Father even told me that he would kill me if I ever got near him again."

Rafiki grunted slightly. "Your father is all talk. Surely he didn't mean it." Pondering for a moment, he added, "He would have to answer to Karanga if he ever lays a paw on you," Rafiki said, but he was not so sure any more. He did not know at what lengths Thembi would actually go to keep this cub far away from him.

"I don't know, Rafiki... I just heard he killed a hyena pup, so, how can I be so sure he won't harm me?" Hatari asked, looking worried.

Rafiki sighed. "Hatari, it's different... The hyenas were-" Rafiki interrupted himself when he heard some footsteps coming their way.

"Hush..." Rafiki whispered, as he tried to listen better. He then recognized the scent of the animal approaching. It was Karanga.

"It's your mother, Hatari, she must be worried about you."

"Oh..." Hatari stood up and peeked through the grass. Karanga spotted him and ran to him, a bit out of breath.

"Oh, Hatari, don't ever do that to me again!" she scolded him while at the same time licking and nuzzling him, relieved to see that he was okay.

She then noticed Rafiki standing by the cub. "Oh, thank the great kings of the past that you were with him, I thought something bad had happened to him! You know it's late, and the leopards are hunting..." she said, then she hugged Hatari again and kissed him.

"It's okay, mom, I'm all right," Hatari said, feeling bad about making Karanga feel worried.

Rafiki walked to Karanga and patted her on the head. "Your son is all right, he was just a bit scared..."

Karanga nodded, she knew exactly what he meant.

"Why don't you all go back to Pride Rock and get some sleep? You both look tired."

Karanga nodded. "Thanks, Rafiki, we will." She turned to the cub and said, "I would have died if something bad had happened to you. Please never run away like this again, you promise me?"

Hatari smiled a bit, feeling thankful that she cared that much for him.

"I won't run away again, mom, I promise," the cub said, rubbing himself around his mother's foreleg.

Rafiki smiled; he could tell that Hatari was feeling calmer now. He waved good bye at the lions, and made his way back to his tree.

In the meantime, Karanga and Hatari walked all the way back to Pride Rock. She tried very hard to reassure Hatari that everything would be all right, but Hatari was not so sure any more. Even if she were to defend him, she's just one lioness. Against a big, brawny lion like Thembi, she wouldn't stand a chance. For his own sake and Karanga's, Hatari would just try his best to stay away from Thembi from now on.


	10. Making Friends at Last

_Chapter 10_

**Making Friends at Last**

A few weeks went by. One particular morning, Thembi woke up earlier than usual. Hatari was already awake and watched his father intently, keeping an eye on every movement, in case he needed to make a quick escape. However, Thembi hadn't even noticed that his younger son was up and awake. Instead, he walked straight towards Mufasa, who was still sleeping peacefully.

"Wake up, son," he said, pawing the cub gently.

Mufasa stirred up and he yawned. "Is it time already? Can't we sleep a little longer?" he said, looking very sleepy.

Thembi shook his head. "I promised you a hunting lesson today. You don't want to be late for it, do you?" Thembi asked.

Mufasa's expression brightened up. He always enjoyed going out for hunting lessons with Thembi, so he stopped complaining right away. "Great! Let's go then!" he said, enthusiastically.

Hatari listened to them as they got ready to leave. "Hunting lesson? Wow...I'd like to learn too..." he thought.

Thembi smiled at Mufasa. "Well, hurry up, you lazy cub! What kind of King will you be if you can't even get up early when you are supposed to?"

"Okay, okay! I'm ready dad!" Mufasa stretched himself, unsheathing his small claws as he did so.

Thembi looked at his son proudly, and walked out of the cave, followed by Mufasa.

Hatari looked at them, hesitating. "I want to go too, I really want to..." he muttered very softly.

Looking from one side to another and making sure that the rest of the lionesses were still asleep, Hatari walked out of the cave and began following Mufasa and his father, keeping enough distance, but still close enough to hear what they were saying.

"Listen, Mufasa," Thembi said as they sat down at the top of the promontory.

Mufasa pricked his ears and paid attention to his father's words.

"Do you see everything the light touches?" the King asked.

Mufasa looked around. Basically almost everywhere he could look at was showered in sunlight. He nodded.

"This is my kingdom, and someday it will be yours too."

Mufasa gasped as he looked at the beautiful place. "All of that? Wow..."

Thembi went on, "Yes, my son. Ruling over this huge territory is a very big responsibility, one that only a few lions can handle."

Hatari in the meantime crouched behind some tall grasses, and tried very hard to listen to his father's words, soaking in as much information as he could.

"And always remember that being a King is not easy. You will face lots of problems, not to mention the hyenas that always seem to know how to make things worse. Remember that they aren't allowed to enter this land-" Thembi stopped talking when he picked up the scent of Hatari, still hiding a few meters behind them.

The King grunted, and glanced over his shoulder. "If you don't mind, I'm having a private talk with Mufasa. Go away." Thembi said out loud for the cub to hear.

Hatari crouched even further when he heard his father addressing him, and decided to back off some more. Unfortunately it became harder to listen in their conversation now.

Mufasa thought for a moment. Since Thembi did tend to spoil him a bit, the cub knew he could get away with a lot of things. In a moment of sudden inspiration he decided to try and see if he could bring Hatari into this lesson as well.

Mufasa cleared his throat. "Hey, dad, it's okay with me if he listens. He's my brother, and we tell each other everything anyway."

Thembi wrinkled his nose slightly. "This was supposed to be a father-and-son talk, and I don't want him snooping around."

Mufasa looked at him pleadingly. "Dad, he'll keep his distance... right Hatari?"" he called to his brother.

Hatari just peeked over the tall grass and nodded submissively.

Thembi growled slightly. "Fine, we will continue this private conversation some other time. For now let's go and practice your pouncing."

Hatari got a little bit closer to hear and see better, while Thembi kept talking to Mufasa, and to Mufasa alone, never addressing Hatari at all.

The cub watched his father coldly, but decided to make the best out of this opportunity, so he focused on the lesson instead.

"Now, look," Thembi told Mufasa grinning slightly, "just right over there, there's Zazu. You will have to pounce on him."

Mufasa laughed. "Oh, poor Zazu, he will be very frightened..."

"Don't worry about him, just listen to me. Crouch down," Thembi instructed Mufasa.

Mufasa obeyed and crouched down, trying to stifle his laughter.

"Be silent now. When you are hunting, you must be very quiet, otherwise, your prey will hear you coming from miles away."

Mufasa hushed as he listened carefully to his father.

Hatari was watching the scene, fascinated, wishing again that he could be in Mufasa's place for once. He listened to Thembi's instructions, and tried to memorize everything Thembi said.

"Crouch down... Keep quiet..." Hatari repeated in his mind.

"Keep your tail down!" Thembi hissed, and Mufasa lowered his tail until it almost touched the ground.

"As soon as you get near, try to hold your breath. The prey might hear you breathing and become alarmed." Thembi whispered.

Instinctively, Hatari held his breath too and continued watching.

Mufasa nodded and as he approached Zazu, he held his breath.

"Pounce whenever you are ready, son," Thembi whispered at a distance.

Mufasa eyed Zazu. The bird had been sitting still at that particular spot, by orders of the King. Zazu was not quite sure why, or what he was supposed to be doing there, so he waited patiently for the King to show up and explain what his duties were.

Mufasa waited for a few seconds, and then pounced on top of Zazu.

"Ahhh!" the bird squawked, falling to the ground under Mufasa's weight.

"What's going on? Help!" Zazu cried out loud.

Even Hatari laughed a little, seeing the poor bird as shocked as he was. Thembi was also laughing, but he regained his composure quickly.

"Well, Zazu, I was just practising with my son how to pounce. I guess he did quite well!" the King said, nuzzling Mufasa proudly.

Zazu arranged his ruffled feathers. "Well, I must say, this was never specified in my job description!"

Thembi smiled slightly and thanked the hornbill for his rather reluctant assistance.

The two lions started to walk away. Hatari waited until it was safe to approach Zazu himself.

"Hey, Zazu," he whispered, "I want to try too, could you help me by staying still while I pounce on you?" the cub asked.

Zazu looked first at the cub and then at the King. "This has been the most humiliating thing I have gone through, but if it's the King's orders, I guess I will offer you my assistance with your pouncing lesson," the hornbill replied, crossing his wings and feeling a bit used. He was now at ease with the idea of keeping an eye on the cubs, but being their hunting dummy went a bit too far. Those cubs were not getting any smaller.

Hatari looked at his father expectantly, waiting for his final word, but, Thembi shook his head.

"There has been enough pouncing for today, right, Mufasa?" Thembi said.

Mufasa just looked at Hatari and then at his father. "Can't he try too?"

Thembi turned around, ignoring his son. "Come on, Zazu and Mufasa, let's go home," he said, and started walking back to Pride Rock.

Hatari looked at them go. "You just wouldn't let me try, would you..." he whispered.

Zazu and Mufasa followed the King. They looked back continuously, seeing that Hatari had stayed put, sitting very still, staring at them.

Zazu sighed. For a moment, he thought on returning to where the younger cub was, to help him by serving as a target for his pounce. Zazu turned around with that idea in mind, but Thembi called him.

"Where are you going, Zazu?"

The bird coughed. "Well, Sire, uh, I was going to help your son-"

"I said no," Thembi interrupted him, "And when I say something, I expect to be obeyed." he added sternly.

Zazu nodded. "Yes, my apologies, your Majesty..." he said, and continued flying in direction to Pride Rock, leaving Hatari alone with his sadness.

* * *

Hatari couldn't believe what had just happened. All his father needed was to say yes. But, instead, he denied yet another thing to him.

"I didn't even want to pounce, anyway," he said out loud, scratching the ground with one paw. "I didn't want to learn anything..." he said softer this time, as his voice cracked slightly and his vision became blurry with tears.

Hatari noticed a big rock nearby. In a sudden fit of rage, the cub charged against the rock and began scratching it madly, muttering things as he did so.

"Fine! If you don't love me, then I won't love you either! So be it! I hate you, I hate you!" he said, as he took out on that rock all the anger he had been holding back all this time.

Hatari kept clawing at the rock as if he were fighting with his worst enemy. He got tired eventually, and stopped scratching. He panted heavily, and sat down as soon as he caught his breath.

He looked down at his claws, which were now slightly throbbing in pain, and noticed that they had sharpened nicely against the rock. He stared at his paws thoughtfully, as he retracted and pulled out his claws repeatedly. He sighed, and looked up at Pride Rock coldly.

"Every day that goes by I want to go back less and less...", he thought, but then he remembered how worried Karanga had been a few weeks ago, when he ran away from her.

"I can't leave her, she said so herself... she would be very sad if I left..." Hatari thought.

He stood up after a while and headed to a small water hole nearby, a bit further away than their usual drinking spot. Once he got there, he looked at his reflection in the water; a sad cub stared back at him, small and skinny.

Seeing his reflection, Hatari realized that he looked a lot like his father. They both had a tuft of hair on the chin that Mufasa lacked, and it would appear that Hatari's mane was going to be dark, like his father's. Hatari would have given everything to look like someone else at this point.

Hatari bent down to drink. As he drank and listened to the sounds his tongue made at the contact with the water, a pungent scent hit his nose. It was not a smell he could recognize. He straightened up and looked around, without seeing anybody. He started sniffing, noticing that the smell was coming from some nearby shrubs. Hatari stared at the bushes, and he heard some voices.

"Damn, I think he saw us!" someone whispered.

"Psh, he's just a cub, and there's three of us, he won't pick up a fight..." a female voice said.

Hatari pricked his ears as he tried to listen better.

"Yeah, but what if mommy and daddy are nearby, huh? We're toast!" a male voice replied.

"Let's just wait until he buggers off, we'll go drink then," the female replied, and then there was only silence.

Hatari called out loud, "You can come and drink, it's okay, my parents are not here..."

There was more silence, followed by the cracking of twigs and rustling in the bushes. Finally, three young, skinny hyena pups emerged from the plants, shaking away loose leaves and dust as they did so.

Hatari stared at them and became alarmed when he recognized the features of what Karanga once described as hyenas: short hind legs, big ears, and their pelt was dark with uneven brown spots. All of a sudden he realized what a terrible idea it had been to let them know he was on his own. However, the pups were not acting aggressive at all. Two of them started drinking timidly, while the third one laughed hysterically for no apparent reason.

"Stop cackling and drink, you dork. We can't stay here much longer!" the female said.

The laughing pup obediently approached and started drinking, while still laughing. He suddenly began coughing, which triggered a new fit of giggles.

"Oh, not again! How many times do we have to tell you not to laugh when you are drinking?" the male said.

Both pups rolled their eyes and continued drinking, while the other hyena coughed and giggled.

Hatari looked at the hyena pups. They didn't act in a threatening manner, and seeing they were as small as he was, he decided to try and start a conversation.

"Hello, how are you?" Hatari asked politely.

The strangers looked up and stared at him shortly.

"We're terrible, thanks for asking," the female answered, and continued drinking.

"You'd better be careful," Hatari warned them, "Hyenas are not allowed here, and the King is bound to start patrolling soon."

"Yeah? No kidding!" she snorted.

"Why are you here? Where are your mom and dad?" Hatari asked, feeling very curious.

The pups looked at each other and shrugged.

"We're here because we are thirsty, duh," she replied, "Mom is somewhere looking for some grub for us, and dad is dead," she added bitterly.

Hatari approached the pups and sat beside them. "Sorry to hear that," he said sincerely.

The female nodded. "We almost lose our brother too..." she said, pointing at the hyena that was laughing non-stop.

Hatari looked at him. The hyena's eyes didn't seem to focus, one was pointing to one side, the other one to another. He drooled uncontrollably, and he seemed to find everything hilarious for some reason.

"What happened to him?" Hatari asked.

The hyenas looked at each other again. It was not every day that someone else showed any interest in them or what they had to say. They were enjoying Hatari's attention, for a change. They sat on their haunches and looked at the lion cub.

"Well, we were attacked by that Thembi dude. Speaking of which... Are you part of his gang?" the female asked, looking at Hatari distrustfully.

Hatari looked away, realizing that these were the hyenas that Thembi chased away not long ago. "Yes, I belong to that pride, but trust me, he doesn't like me any more than he likes you, guys."

The hyenas looked at him curiously.

"I'm his younger son, but he only has eyes for my brother, who will inherit the throne some day."

"Meh, who needs a friggin' king," the male hyena said, while making a rude gesture. Hatari tried hard not to laugh.

"My father said you were merciless killers, but you seem okay to me..." he said softly.

The pups began laughing noisily.

"So, hahah, _we_ are the merciless killers?" she said, rolling on the floor.

Her brothers joined in, creating quite a ruckus. Hatari kept looking around nervously, making sure Thembi was not anywhere nearby.

After a while, the hyenas calmed down.

"No, lion, you're wrong," the male pup said, wiping tears of laughter off his eyes, "Your King, because he ain't our king, is the merciless killer. He killed our dad and tried to kill Ed also," he added, pointing at the laughing hyena.

Hatari looked at him confused. "Father said that the pup was dead..."

"Your King cuffed him nice and hard. Right in the noggin'. Ed rolled down a slope and smashed hard on a rock. I tell ya, he was out for a while. Your King must've thought Ed had snuffed it..."

Hatari felt his eyes watering, a mixture of sadness and rage. He asked, "Why did he attack you?"

The female shrugged. "Mom and Dad were looking for some food, cause there's nothing much left back where we live, ya know..." she said, pointing towards the elephant graveyard. "Then your King crashed the party, telling us that we were poaching on his lands and we should know what the price for trespassing is..." she went on, doing a rather good impersonation of Thembi, which would have made Hatari laugh, had it not been for the seriousness of the matter.

"Dad told him that he was sorry for trespassing his lands, that he wasn't hunting for fun, that he was looking for food for us and that we'd leave as soon as we had eaten... But your King didn't want to hear more and killed dad right there and then, ripping his throat out with his claws."

Hatari gasped. "Right in front of you?"

The pups nodded.

Hatari could only imagine how horrible that must be, the mere thought of seeing Karanga killed like that was enough to make his eyes water.

The male pup sighed. "Mom and dad didn't even want to come, but we were so hungry, that they decided to risk it. Dad wasn't even messing around, but still, that stupid brute had to go and kill him!"

Hatari pressed his eyes shut when he heard the pup's words.

"It makes my father sound more like a murderer, rather than the 'protector of the pride' bullocks they told me about..." he said, his voice full of sorrow.

The hyenas looked at him intently. "So about your father... Are you really a prince? What was that about your brother getting the throne but not you?"

Hatari shook his head. "I am only the future king's brother, nothing else. He was born first, I was born second... It's the law. But let me tell you, I am really very sorry about what my father did to yours..."

The female glowered at him for a moment. "Yeah, right. You are a lion and everybody knows lions hate hyenas!" she snarled, baring her little fangs.

Hatari shook his head. "I don't hate you... You are the first hyenas I've ever met, and actually, I rather enjoyed talking to you. Back at Pride Rock I don't get to talk to anyone but my mom. No one else seems to like me very much either," the cub explained.

The female hyena looked at him with curiosity. "Why is that? What did you do?" she asked.

Hatari shrugged. "I don't know, but I expect to find out sometime. I've decided to ask my father, when the time is right. He hates me terribly, and I don't even know why... I feel as safe as you would when sitting next to him. He's threatened me with death too."

"Whoa, your own dad? What a creep..." The female hyena looked away and sighed.

The lion cub decided that now was a good time to introduce themselves. "My name is Hatari... What's your name?" Hatari asked.

"Hatari? Whoa... What a cool name! ... Is it really your name or you just made that up?" the female asked.

Hatari had troubles hiding his smile. "It's really my name. No idea why though, I guess my father thinks I am a danger of some sort."

"I'm Shenzi," the female replied, thinking Hatari looked everything but dangerous.

The male cleared his throat. "I am Banzai... The Great!" he said, and laughed noisily.

Shenzi laughed too. "You wish you were great, you lame brain..." she said slapping her brother on the head, playfully.

"And our brother over there is Fedha," she said, pointing at the prancing hyena pup who was trying to catch a butterfly, "but we call him Ed. Thanks to your father, he is now totally dumb."

"What do you mean?" Hatari asked.

"After Ed woke up from your King's attack, he was never the same. We guess that he hit his head real badly, cause there's definitely a loose screw in there somewhere now. He can't speak any more, and he only communicates through laughter..." Shenzi explained.

Hatari watched Ed prancing around, it was then obvious to him that the pup also lacked a lot of motor coordination, for someone his age.

Shenzi said sighing, "It really sucks, you know? He used to be so smart, in fact, he was the smartest of us all. He was mom and dad's favourite."

"Really?" Hatari asked, feeling sorry for Ed, who seemed blissfully unaware of what was going on.

"He sure was," Banzai added, "But when he saw dad being killed in such a terrible way, and mom being threatened, Ed couldn't hold back and began cursing at your father..."

"Yeah," Shenzi snorted, "I tell ya, I'd never heard so many bad words coming from one single mouth! Banzai, just where in the world did Ed learn all that anyway?" she said laughing.

Banzai shrugged and joined in, laughing and recalling some of the funniest insults Ed blurted out that disastrous day.

Hatari listened quietly, and finally agreed with Karanga on one thing: hyenas were indeed very noisy. But he found that, compared to the long faces of everyone back at Pride Rock, he rather enjoyed the hyena's lively mood, even while going through difficult times.

When she finally stopped laughing, Shenzi took a deep breath and carried on. "I think Ed would have gotten away with all that, but all of a sudden he just went for it and jumped on top of your King. And that was his last brilliantly stupid idea, before he ended up like this..." she said, glancing towards Ed.

Hatari sighed. "Father did mention that a pup tried to attack him. It's an honour to actually get to meet this pup; someone who actually was brave enough to stand up to him like that..." Hatari whispered, thoughtfully.

Banzai and Shenzi never thought of it that way, but it didn't make much sense that these words were coming straight from a lion's mouth. He must be really low in the rank of his own pride for him to feel that way, they thought.

Hatari glanced at Pride Rock in the distance. He sighed again.

"I must go back home, my mother will get worried and might start looking for me. I don't want her to find you here, she might go tell Father..." he said, getting up and stretching his legs a bit.

The hyenas let their tails droop. "You are leaving so quickly?" Shenzi asked.

"Yes," Hatari said, "We could get in big trouble if she finds out I'm here talking to you."

Shenzi and Banzai nodded. "Okay... I guess we'll be seeing you sometime then, or not," Banzai told him.

Hatari looked around, worried. "Take care, make sure you go back in hiding, I think Father will come patrolling here soon..."

The hyenas nodded again, taking a quick look around to make sure they were still safe.

"I hope we can meet again someday, it's been fun..." Hatari admitted.

"Yeah... Same here. It was nice meeting you, pal," Shenzi said.

Hatari smiled. "_Pal_... I like the sound of that." He turned and looked at Shenzi. "So, are we friends?"

"Um, well, yeah, I guess so. For being a lion, you are kinda cool," Shenzi said, grinning.

Hatari smiled. "Well, good bye..." he said, and started walking towards Pride Rock.

"Who would have thought," he told himself, "the _merciless killers_ are now my friends..."

He continued walking, feeling a lot happier than he had felt in months. His happiness dissipated quickly though, once he arrived at Pride Rock and heard Mufasa talking with Thembi.

"But, Dad, I don't get it... what about my brother?" Mufasa said, looking at his father, confused.

"Stop worrying about your brother!" Thembi snapped, but he softened his tone immediately. "The only way he can become a king, is if you were to die. And I will make sure that that does not happen, my son. I'll always take care of you and I won't let anything happen to you. Hatari simply cannot be king, and I am very glad that it is you who will follow into my footsteps."

Hatari heard every word, and pulled out his claws in anger, digging them into the soil.

"Why is he so glad about that? I think I'd make a really nice King!" Hatari thought.

"But, Dad-"

"No, Mufasa. Hatari does not have the makings of a King. He is weak. You on the other hand, have what it takes to take over my kingdom. You will be the one who rules it, the one who will take care of it after I am gone..."

Hatari felt his world crumpling. He had never really contemplated the possibility of becoming a King himself. He never gave it much thought, as he had always known that becoming a King was Mufasa's privilege. But to hear his father talking like this, as if Hatari was no good at all...

The cub thought about Ed, who had enough courage to stand up to Thembi. If a hyena could do it, so could he. Gathering courage, Hatari stepped forward and told his father resolutely, "I know I could be a great King, if only you'd let me try."

Thembi turned around and looked at him with disgust.

"I guess you haven't learned your lesson yet, cub," he half-snarled, "Do I need to remind you once again what your place in this pride is?" he asked, looking menacing.

Hatari shuddered, feeling a lot less brave all of a sudden. "I am sorry, Father, I just wanted you to know that I can also make a good King, if you can teach me how to be one..."

"Respect is what I will teach you right now, you insignificant-"

Hatari would have received a very hard blow on the face, if it hadn't been for Karanga who came running towards them, covered in blood and out of breath.

"Thembi! Thembi!" she yelled.

She looked very sad and her eyes were red and swollen. Thembi could tell she had been crying.

"What is it, Karanga?" he asked, forgetting for a moment about Hatari.

"Dalasini! A buffalo hit her hard on the face!" she said sobbing.

"Calm down, calm down!" Thembi said, nuzzling the lioness' face, trying to comfort her.

"Now, tell me, where is she? We will take Rafiki with us and he will help her, you'll see," Thembi said.

Karanga shook her head. "It's too late... She is already dead, Thembi." the lioness said.

Mufasa and Hatari gasped, while Thembi looked at her with wide eyes.

"Dead? Dalasini? This can't be true! Such a good huntress..." he said, startled.

He certainly hadn't expected this turn of events. Dalasini had only decided to stay with the pride not long ago. Sarabi, Sarafina and Ndani had insisted on it, as per suggestion of the King.

Mufasa, who loved Dalasini even more than he loved Karanga, started crying, and hurried to his father's side.

Hatari just stood there, watching the scene, not being able to shed a single tear.

"She's dead. The one who fed me and saved my life, is dead..." the young cub thought.

He was too shocked to say anything. Thembi could sense the cub was upset, but he concentrated on Mufasa, cradling him with one paw.

Karanga continued sobbing. She was too sad to notice her favourite cub's inner battle.

Hatari left Pride Rock, feeling quite startled. He sat down on his haunches, looking at the horizon thoughtfully.

"She never liked me as much she liked Mufasa...", he thought, recalling Dalasini, "but she still was kind to me, and allowed me to drink her milk..." Hatari sighed. "She saved my life once, and she might have inadvertently saved my life tonight again..." he thought, recalling how Thembi had been ready to strike him earlier for being disrespectful.

He knew very well that he wasn't the pride's favourite, and perhaps that's the reason why he didn't feel like crying for Dalasini. The only real love he's ever felt came from Karanga. Not even from Mufasa, who did genuinely love his brother, but he spent more time playing with the lionesses, so he'd often forget about Hatari's existence.

"Now is probably not a good time to try and sort things out with my father..." he thought.

The cub closed his eyes and fell asleep, thinking about what had happened to Dalasini, and about his first meeting with the hyenas earlier that day.

Back at Pride Rock, the lionesses had gathered around Thembi, who had just pronounced a farewell speech for Dalasini.

Sarabi, Sarafina and Ndani were huddled together, crying for the death of their mother.

"Don't cry, my little ones, we'll take care of you, I promise. Now that you shall live with us, I'll be your mother," Karanga told the cubs.

Sarafina sobbed as she hugged her sisters.

"Mom's gone!" she whispered.

Sarabi nodded, but she tried to hold back her tears. "We must be strong... mom would have wanted that..." she said, trying to comfort Sarafina and Ndani.

Thembi looked at them. "Sarabi is very strong..." he couldn't help noticing.

He approached the small lioness. "Don't worry, Sarabi, this is your home now. You belong here, and we will take good care of you."

Sarabi looked at the King and nodded. "I know... I'll just miss her so much..." she whispered.

"I know... But it will be all right, you'll see," Thembi answered, and placed a paw around her shoulder, trying to comfort her a bit.

The pride remained in silence, as they recalled the times they spent with Dalasini. She would never be forgotten, and would always be remembered as the lioness who saved Mufasa and Hatari's lives.


	11. Hatari's First Hunt

_Chapter 11_

**Hatari's First Hunt**

It had been a very hot day, and there was not one cloud in sight. The lionesses were gathered together under the shade of a tree, trying to keep cool.

Karanga was trying to comfort Dalasini's daughters, who were still very sad, and missing their mother a lot.

"My little ones, I know it's only been a few weeks since the accident, but you have to pull yourselves together. I know your mom wouldn't have liked to see you like this."

The small lionesses nodded, still looking very sad.

"So no more skipping hunting lessons, and no more staying in the cave all day. All right? There's lots to do, and lots to learn! Time doesn't stand still in the Savannah. Kuuliza and I will resume the hunting lessons your mom had scheduled for you, so you won't miss anything.

The rest of the pride listened quietly as Karanga tried to cheer the cubs up.

"How about a bath? It'll make you feel fresh in this heat!" she suggested.

The cubs seemed to like the idea, so Huria, Karanga and Kuuliza picked a cub each, and started cleaning them gently. In the middle of the grooming session, a shadow was cast on the ground. Karanga looked up and saw Zazu, flying above them. The lioness watched how Zazu flew further away and landed right beside Hatari, who was sitting on his own, under the shadow of a different tree not far away from where she was. Karanga smiled. She hoped Zazu could turn into Hatari's friend, so the cub wouldn't be lonely any more.

She did have a talk with the other cubs, about why they didn't play with Hatari. They let Hatari join in their games reluctantly after that, but he still didn't feel quite accepted, so he decided not to bother any more. He sought the company of the hyenas instead.

Hatari saw Zazu approaching and looked up.

"Hey, Zazu, can you come down here for a second?" he called.

The bird looked down and saw Hatari addressing him. He landed softly beside the lion, and arranged his feathers quickly.

"Hi! How are you?" Hatari asked.

"I'm a bit hot, I'm afraid, but other than that I am fine, young Prince. Nothing to report this morning! How about you?" Zazu asked.

"I'm quite good, thanks," Hatari replied, who was in a better mood than usual lately.

"Oh, I'm glad for you, really," Zazu replied, wondering what could be making the cub so happy.

Hatari looked at the hornbill for a moment. "Hey, Zazu, if I ask you a question, will you promise to answer honestly?" the cub asked.

Zazu smiled. "It depends on what you are going to ask," he replied, grinning.

Hatari smiled back. "Come on, Zazu, I'm serious! There's something I really want to know... about the lionesses, you know, Sarabi, Sarafina..."

Zazu thought for a moment. His eyes widened considerably and he got a sudden cough attack.

The hornbill cleared his throat. "Well, Hatari..." he said, blushing tremendously.

"What? What's wrong?" the cub asked, wondering why Zazu became so nervous all of a sudden.

"Well, I think you should ask your mother or father about that, what can I tell you about lionesses? I mean-" the bird said, still coughing a bit.

Hatari looked puzzled. "Well, you know a lot about what goes on in the Pride Lands, perhaps you've heard... things, you know..."

Zazu looked at him for a moment. "What is it that you need to know, Young Master?"

"Do you have any idea why my pride mates don't like me? Would you know what it is that I did, that makes them treat me differently? It can't be just because I was second born, right?"

Zazu looked at the cub, blinking several times. "That was what you were going to ask me? Oooh..." he sighed in relief.

Hatari nodded. "Um, yeah. What were you expecting me to ask that got you all worked up?"

Zazu shook himself a bit. "Never mind, never mind," he said, "Let's go back to your question."

Hatari looked intently at him. "So, can you tell me why the pride doesn't like me?"

Zazu held his breath for a moment. He knew perfectly well that Thembi had told the female cubs about Kitok's death, and how Hatari was to blame for it.

"Listen, Master Hatari..."

Hatari pricked his ears, paying attention to Zazu's words.

"I- I can't tell you anything. If you want to know, you will have to ask your father."

Hatari's ears drooped, he looked clearly disappointed.

"So... you know. You actually _know_, and you won't tell me? Dad won't tell me anything! He just snarls every time I dare to get close!" the cub said, angrily.

Zazu patted him on the shoulder with a wing. "I am very sorry, Hatari, but it is not my role to discuss the matter with you. This is between you and your father."

Hatari looked away, still upset.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, Master Hatari..." Zazu whispered, "I can't say anything because I already feel as if were meddling in something very private, something between you and the King. It is really not my place to tell you."

"Hmm. Fine, then." Hatari muttered as he flopped on the grass, his good mood fading rather quickly.

Zazu sighed and stared at the ground thoughtfully. They both went quiet, in a moment of awkward silence.

"Zazu," Hatari said, "Since you do know more than I do... What should I do? Should I just wait until he forgets whatever I did, and then he'll forgive me?"

Zazu was about to reply when he heard Thembi's voice, calling for him.

"Master Hatari, I must go now. But, if you want my advice, I can tell you this... It seems your father will never forget, I am not sure he'll be able to forgive either. I suggest that you try and obey him, and don't make him angry. Just try to keep your distance," the bird said.

Hatari nodded rolling his eyes. He felt he had heard the same thing already a hundred times before.

"I'll see you later." Zazu said, and took off, not wanting to keep the King waiting.

Hatari looked up, and followed Zazu with his eyes for a brief moment.

"Everyone keeps telling me the same thing. I try not to bother Father, but my only presence drives him crazy... What am I supposed to do, leave this place?" Hatari thought.

Every day that went by he felt more and more certain that this was the only solution to his problems, to go and seek fortune elsewhere.

He sighed deeply. In the meantime, the shade of the tree where he had been resting had moved. Hatari stood up with the intention of going back into the cave, where it was probably cooler, but he got distracted when he saw that just over the ridge there was a herd of wildebeest, grazing calmly.

Hatari looked at them with interest, and he came up with an idea. "Maybe I can practice hunting and pouncing with them. I'm sure they won't mind, once I explain it's just practice..."

Mufasa happened to be walking nearby on his own, not far away from where Hatari was. He was still having a bit of trouble coping with what had happened to Dalasini. He loved her very much. Even though Karanga had vowed to be his surrogate mother, it was pretty clear that she had a strong preference for Hatari, whereas Dalasini had always favoured Mufasa. The cub had simply gotten more attached to Dalasini, than to Karanga.

Mufasa was still walking absent-mindedly, lost in his thoughts, when all of a sudden he noticed a change in the atmosphere. He picked up the scent of fear in the air. Looking in all directions, he noticed that the wildebeest were getting anxious about something, but Mufasa couldn't see clearly what was bothering them. He walked to the ridge, where he could safely keep an eye on the herd from above.

Hatari, in the meantime, had climbed down the ridge and kept approaching the wildebeest. He sneaked towards them very slowly, crouching down as best as he could and using the grass and bushes for camouflage.

He sensed too that the animals were already aware of his presence and that they were getting restless, but he didn't pay attention to their warning signs, and kept getting closer.

"Hmm... Father told Mufasa to hide the tail, and to hold his breath..." he recalled.

The cub lowered his tail and tried to hold his breath. He was very close to the wildebeest, and the adrenaline was rushing through his body. In his excited state, he had an idea all of a sudden.

"What if... What if I hunt a wildebeest _for real_? If I can hunt something before my brother does, perhaps the pride will like me better..." Hatari thought.

It all made perfect sense in his head. He'd arrive triumphant at Pride Rock, clutching a wildebeest in his mouth. They would all feast and afterwards, with a full tummy, they would all lie down around him and thank him for his effort.

Hatari smiled to himself. This was the perfect way of showing to the pride that he could be useful and handy to have around. He was so desperate to fit in, that he didn't even care about the fact that hunting for food was an activity mostly reserved for the lionesses.

He kept crouching, advancing slowly, step by step.

The wildebeest had realized that their stalker was just a young lion that couldn't pose much of a threat. They were actually now more annoyed than afraid.

Since Hatari gave no signs of leaving, the wildebeest began hitting the ground with their legs, as a warning. A small cloud of dust started raising around their hooves. The dust reached Hatari's sensitive nose and made him sneeze.

Mufasa thought he had heard someone sneezing nearby, and looking hard enough, he was able to see the small figure of his brother, hiding behind the tall grass, approaching the wildebeest herd slyly.

During one of his lessons, Thembi had once warned Mufasa not to go near the wildebeest herds. If they got scared, they would probably stampede, and that could be very dangerous, specially for someone as small as the cubs. Mufasa knew this very well, but Hatari probably had no idea.

"I know dad never warned him about how dangerous stampeding wildebeests can be, he is in real danger!" Mufasa thought, looking around desperately and trying to find the best course of action.

Hatari hadn't realized yet that Mufasa was nearby, and kept on stalking the wildebeest, dreaming of what would happen once he returned home with one as prey.

Mufasa was about to go get help, but at that moment, the wildebeest started walking slowly towards the cub. They looked very annoyed.

"They are becoming very angry! I won't have time to fetch anyone!" Mufasa thought.

He saw that one particular wildebeest was extremely upset; it was then when Mufasa noticed the young, vulnerable baby wildebeest at her side. It was probably a few hours old only, and was just learning to walk around on its wobbly legs.

The mother wildebeest knew that her baby could be an easy prey, even for a lion as young as Hatari, so she was ready to stand up to the lion cub. She was getting ready to charge at Hatari, but he was facing the other way, and had not seen her at all.

Mufasa gasped. "There is no time!" he said, as the angry mother charged towards Hatari at full speed.

"Hatari! Watch out! To your left!" Mufasa screamed as loud as he could, to warn his brother about the incoming attack.

Hatari heard his name and pricked his ears. He turned to his left, but all he could see was a bigger cloud of dust rising rapidly. The ground was now trembling under his paws.

The cub looked around, and saw that the whole herd was now running around like mad, most of them heading towards where he was hiding.

The wildebeest had gotten frightened when they heard the word 'hatari', thinking it meant danger approaching. Since they were already restless because of the cub's presence, they started running, trying to get away.

Hatari was frozen in shock, he didn't know what to do or where to run, the wildebeest were suddenly everywhere. He tried avoiding the animals but shortly after, the dust started clouding his vision, and he could not see anything any more.

Mufasa knew that the wildebeest wouldn't stop running until they felt safe again. In the meantime, hundreds of angry hooves were trampling the grass where Hatari had just been hiding.

"Hatari, run!" Mufasa screamed in terror, but that only increased the wildebeest's panic.

Hatari could barely hear Mufasa yelling, but he still didn't know where to run; he was still surrounded by dust and he couldn't see clearly.

"Wildebeest can't climb... I need to find a tree, or a big rock to climb up!" Hatari thought, looking around desperately.

Panic took hold of the cub. He started running towards where he thought the nearest tree was, the one where he had been sitting under earlier that day. But suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his chest. The cub had been kicked very hard, and had the air knocked out of him. He couldn't move for several seconds.

Hatari tried to get up again, but he felt another hoof treading on his body, this time on his right paw.

"Help! Help! Karanga! Mufasa, please!" Hatari yelled desperately.

"Hang on, brother! They're almost gone!" Mufasa yelled, he could see the herd thinning considerably.

Hatari lay on his side, breathing heavily. He tried to crawl away, but at that moment he felt another hoof hitting him, this time on his face. The cub screamed in pain, and fell to the ground, losing consciousness.

"Brother! Brother!" Mufasa shouted hysterically, realizing that his brother had just been injured.

The stampede was over as quickly as it started, although for the cubs it had lasted an eternity. The wildebeest disappeared in the distance, leaving only the limp and bruised body of Hatari behind.

Mufasa searched for his brother, hoping the dust would settle down quickly, as it made his search more difficult.

"Hatari? Hatari, where are you?" Mufasa called.

Hatari was slowly coming by from the hard blow to the head he received, and heard his brother calling him. He could only groan in reply.

Mufasa turned to where he heard the noise, and saw his brother lying down on the ground, panting.

"Hatari, what happened to you? Are you all right?" Mufasa asked as he ran to his brother.

Hatari was still very dazed. He tried to get up but everything hurt. His eyes weren't focusing well, which made him feel very dizzy.

"I... I think I'm going to be sick..." he blurted, and proceeded to throw up, not being able to hold back.

"Hatari..." Mufasa said once Hatari had recovered a bit, "Your fur and face are covered in red stains, you are bleeding! We need to get you home right away!"

Hatari brought a paw to his face and winced.

"Mufasa, this hurts a lot..." Hatari said, crying from the pain. The tears only made his face sting even more.

"Let me take a look at that wound..." Mufasa said.

Hatari turned towards him. He tried blinking, but his left eye had swollen so much, he couldn't even open it any more.

Mufasa gasped. "Hatari! Your eye is hurt!" he said, "We must go home, mom and dad should know what to do!"

"No!" Hatari said, "Father will punish me for getting into trouble, I don't want to be punished..." he added, still crying, now with added fear towards Thembi's reaction.

Mufasa looked at his brother thoughtfully. "If you don't want dad to see you like this, maybe we can go to the water hole, get you cleaned up a bit..." Mufasa said.

Hatari thought it was a good idea, and staggered to his feet. "Oh man, everything's still spinning..." the cub said.

"Yeah... It must have been a really hard kick..." Mufasa replied.

They made their way to the water hole slowly. Hatari tripped several times because he was limping, and his chest hurt, but not as bad as his face. He had a splitting headache, and his left eye was hurting terribly. He felt new waves of pain coming in with every heartbeat.

Mufasa sighed. "Why were you messing with the wildebeest in the first place, Hatari?" he asked.

Hatari looked away, embarrassed. He just couldn't reveal his true motive to his brother.

"I- I just wanted to put the pouncing lesson into practice..." Hatari said softly.

"Yeah, well you chose a rather difficult animal to pounce on. Those wildebeest will freak out for every little thing," Mufasa replied.

Hatari seemed thoughtful. "I was doing fine... I held my breath, just as Father told Mufasa..." the cub thought.

He looked at Mufasa, walking slightly ahead of him. Then, it dawned on Hatari that the wildebeest had panicked right when Mufasa started yelling out loud.

"Yeah... Everything was going okay until he came and shouted my name..." he thought, unaware that Mufasa was just trying to protect him from a charging wildebeest. "I bet he scared the herd on purpose, I bet he doesn't want me to be better than him for once..." the cub pondered, feeling resentful towards his brother and not thinking quite straight.

When they finally reached the waterhole, Mufasa told Hatari, "Wash your face, but be careful..."

Hatari nodded, and submerged his face in the water several times. He tried to clean the rest of his fur, but the pain in his chest and face made it very difficult.

Mufasa watched him and could see that Hatari was having some trouble cleaning himself.

"Here, let me help you..." he said, and tried to lick Hatari clean, but the wounded cub pulled away.

"I can do it on my own," he said, coldly.

Mufasa sat back, to give him some space.

Hatari kept trying, but no matter how much he groomed himself, the wound continued to bleed. Blood drops kept running down his face, staining his cheeks, chin and neck.

"Hatari, sorry to say this, but there's no hiding this from dad. Everyone will notice something happened to you... That wound is still bleeding, and your eye looks nasty..." Mufasa said, looking worried.

Hatari peeked at his reflection in the water. There was a big gash, crossing his left eye.

"Damn! It looks horrible!" Hatari exclaimed, looking at his swollen face.

Mufasa nodded. "It'll certainly leave a mark, that's for sure..." Mufasa said, looking at the gash on his brother's face.

Hatari tried again to clean himself, but it was no use.

"Look, it's not getting any better... We need to go home! Maybe Rafiki has a remedy," Mufasa said, glancing at Pride Rock.

Hatari had to admit that Mufasa was right; the water was not really helping, and he was not getting any better.

"Fine," Hatari muttered, "Let's go..."

Both cubs started walking again. By the time they had reached Pride Rock, Hatari felt that if Thembi killed him now, he would actually be grateful to him, for having relieved him of this tremendous pain.

* * *

Karanga was talking to the other lionesses, planning the next hunting party. She always looked forward to the hunt, but today she was feeling a bit tired, and not totally fit. She was seriously considering staying behind this time, but got distracted when she heard footsteps nearby.

The Queen looked up and noticed Thembi's cubs were approaching. She didn't realize at first that Hatari was hurt, because the cub was walking with his head down. She did notice his limp, and once he got closer, she saw the blood dripping down Hatari's face.

Karanga gasped, and ran to the cubs.

"Hatari, what happened to you? You are bleeding!" she exclaimed, looking at the cub's face, terrified.

"Mom!" Hatari said crying, and snuggled against Karanga's leg.

The rest of the lionesses gasped and looked horrified when they saw the state the cub was in.

Karanga hugged the cub and looked at Mufasa.

"What happened? Who hurt him? Was it... Was it your father?" she asked him, trying to sound calm, but she was obviously upset.

"No!" Mufasa replied quickly, "Hatari wanted to practise pouncing, but he did it with a wildebeest herd. They started running like crazy and one of them hit him right in the face," Mufasa explained, unaware that his own scream was what had caused the stampede.

Karanga shook her head and looked at Hatari. "What in the world possessed you to do such a foolish thing? Wildebeest are big and strong! You saw what a buffalo kick did to Dalasini, didn't you think the same could happen to you?"

Hatari shook his head. "I didn't know, mom, I'm sorry..." he said between sobs.

Karanga saw that Hatari was already suffering greatly, so she spared him the reprimand. She kissed the cub, but Hatari winced and backed off.

The Queen looked at Mufasa. "Please, Mufasa, go and find Zazu, he's in the cave with your father. Ask him to fetch Rafiki as fast as he can."

Mufasa darted towards the cave, while Karanga tried to clean Hatari again.

He grimaced in pain. "Mom, please don't... It hurts..." he muttered.

Karanga sighed and tried to calm the cub down as best as she could. She lay down next to him and whispered words of comfort.

In the meantime, Mufasa entered the cave and spotted Zazu, still talking to Thembi.

"Zazu!" the cub called, "Mom wants you to fetch Rafiki right away, it's urgent!"

"What? Urgent?" Zazu asked.

Thembi turned around and looked at Mufasa.

"What is it, son?" Thembi asked, looking worried.

"Hatari just had an accident! Karanga wants Rafiki to check him out as soon as possible!" Mufasa answered.

Zazu didn't wait to hear more and flew out of the cave in search for Rafiki.

Thembi remained silent for a few seconds. "An accident, you say?" the King asked.

Mufasa nodded. "Karanga's right there with him, over there," Mufasa said, pointing with his paw towards them.

Thembi shook himself and walked out of the cave.

Mufasa followed his father.

"What happened here?" Thembi asked. His face clearly showed no concern at all, his expression was more of curiosity than anything else.

"Your son has been badly hurt by a wildebeest," Karanga said. She hugged the cub protectively and threw a warning glare at Thembi.

Thembi ignored her and looked at the weeping cub instead. "Let me see the wound," he commanded.

Hatari looked up, and faced his father. The cub was shaking in fear.

Thembi tilted his head as he looked closely at the cub's face. He could sense Hatari's fear, which pleased him.

Karanga could sense it too and whispered to Hatari, "Don't be afraid, my little one. Everything is going to be okay."

The cub nodded, still trembling as Thembi inspected his face thoroughly. He was so close that Hatari could feel Thembi's breath on him, as the King sniffed his face. It made the fur on Hatari's back stand on edge.

The king finally walked away. "Stop fretting, everyone. It is not a fatal wound. He'll live, although from the looks of it, probably with one eye less." He glanced towards Hatari over his shoulder and added coldly, "I guess this should teach you a lesson about bothering the wildebeest."

Karanga shut her eyes for an instant. When she opened them again, she looked straight at Thembi.

"That's enough, Thembi." she said, determined to put a stop to this. "Can't you see he is suffering enough already? How about a word of comfort, for a change, instead of making him more miserable with your indifference?"

Thembi looked at the Queen. "We've already been through this. Don't test my patience again, Karanga," he told her, looking deep into her eyes.

She shook her head and kept eye contact, defiantly. "Well, today is the day that I won't take it any more. I am not going to just sit here and watch you torment him!" she said, raising her tone of voice.

Hatari cowered between Karanga's paws as he saw his parents fighting.

"I thought you had already learned your lesson!" he roared angrily.

Thembi's roar resonated in Hatari's head, triggering new waves of pain and tears.

Karanga lost her patience. "The only lesson I have learned is that you are the most cruel lion I've met, and I regret the moment I ever had any feelings for you! That's what I've learned!" she yelled.

The pride watched the scene intently, as no one ever knew that the relation between Thembi and Karanga was not as idyllic as they thought. It suddenly became clear why sometimes Karanga would take long walks on her own, and sleep with Hatari rather than at the King's side.

Thembi looked at her sternly, for a moment her feisty temper and the fire in her eyes reminded him of Kitok. He kept staring into her eyes, but she didn't look away this time.

Thembi eventually looked away and stared at the cub, still hidden and trembling between Karanga's legs. The King chuckled.

"I spared his life," he said, circling Karanga, "I could have killed Hatari from day one, you know, but since he meant that much to you, I allowed him to live and to stay with us. But I made it very clear to you, from the start, that I did not want to have anything to do with him. I warned you, Karanga, I told you to keep him away. Yet the cub kept pestering me and getting himself into trouble. And there he is, still alive." he said. "I still spared his life after all that. I think I have been more tolerant than cruel."

Karanga stared at him with wide eyes, speechless.

Thembi glowered at Hatari. "Well, let's not be cruel any more. Let's be merciful, and put Hatari out of his misery."

Karanga growled. "Don't you dare! If you do as much as laying a paw on him right now..." she said, baring her teeth menacingly at the King.

Kuuliza looked at her daughter alarmed. "Karanga, please, calm down..." Seeing Thembi like this made her fear for Karanga's life too.

Hatari looked up at them and muttered, "I just want to know, what is it that I did to earn your hate? Why don't you love me like you love Mufasa?"

Mufasa looked away, feeling a bit guilty for being Thembi's favourite.

"Come here, Hatari," Thembi called.

The cub stood up and limped towards his father, looking at Karanga over his shoulder as he walked. Hatari was able to see that she was crying.

"Kitok! Don't let him do that! Don't let him blame Hatari for your death! You know that's not true! Please, do something!" Karanga prayed as she cried. She was poised for combat, ready to attack Thembi if he dared hurt the cub.

Hatari sat down beside Thembi, and stared at his massive paws, wondering if this would be the day where Thembi would carry out his threats and put an end to his existence.

"Listen very well, cub," he said, glaring at Hatari.

The cub pricked his ears.

"Everyone dislikes you because you are a murderer," Thembi said softly.

"Damn you, Thembi..." Karanga growled.

Thembi looked at her, ready to strike at him. He tilted his head for a moment as he looked at her, and half-smiled to himself.

"Relax, Karanga, we are just having a father-and-son moment here," he said sarcastically.

Hatari opened his good eye as wide as he could. "Me... A murderer? But... How is that possible?"

Karanga closed her eyes and sobbed. "This is so unfair, so unfair..." she muttered to herself.

Hatari turned to Karanga, his jaw quivering. "Mom, is it true?"

"Of course it isn't, honey, it isn't!" she said, walking to the cub and hugging him protectively.

"Yes, it is true!" Thembi roared, "You took away the most precious thing in my life the moment you were born. It is thanks to you that your mother Kitok is dead, it's all your fault! You killed her!" he snarled.

Hatari's jaw was hanging open as he heard his father speaking, trying to figure out how a new born cub could be held responsible for such a thing.

Hatari felt his eyes watering and he turned to Thembi. "But how could I have done that? I was just a cub, it's not something I planned, I don't even remember any of it!" he blurted out between sobs, crying as he had never done before.

Thembi looked at him sternly, narrowing his eyes. The lion said, "What do you think is the reason for your name, Hatari? Why do you think the lioness cubs are afraid of you?"

Hatari opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came.

"You are a danger. You bring death with you and sooner or later you will endanger everyone around you...", Thembi added, as the other cubs looked away, unable to look at Hatari in the eye.

The cub began repeating to himself, "I am not a murderer, you're mad! I am not a murderer! You can't blame me for something that was out of my control!"

"I am not going to discuss this any further. Now you know how I feel and why," Thembi said.

Hatari was speechless. He had always hoped that once his father revealed the truth to him, that some sort of enlightening would come to his mind. He hoped that he would then find the solution to fix things between Thembi and him, however, there was no fixing this. Hatari could not apologize for something he didn't do on purpose. He was quite upset at the fact that there was nothing he could do to make things right, unless he could bring Kitok back from the dead.

Thembi suddenly grabbed the cub with one paw by the scruff of the neck and picked him up.

Hatari groaned in pain, while Karanga tensed up and growled louder.

"Listen carefully, Hatari," Thembi said through clenched teeth.

Hatari hung limply, too exhausted and hurt to struggle or fight back. "This is it, I'm done for," he thought.

"I will never forget what happened the night you were born. You extinguished my happiness the moment you came into this world, and I cannot look past that," Thembi said, "So do me and yourself a favour, and keep your distance like you've been doing."

Hatari looked at him through his swollen eyes, and nodded silently.

The king put the cub down on the ground, and turned to Karanga. "As for you-"

Thembi hushed when Zazu landed next to them, and Rafiki showed up a few seconds after.

"Sorry I am late, I came as fast as I could, I was further down by the gorge!", he said panting.

The King and Queen looked at each other for a few seconds, there was clearly still some unfinished business between them.

"Hatari, come here, let me see..." the baboon called.

Hatari limped towards Rafiki quietly, while Rafiki looked around, sensing terrible tension in the air.

"Let's see... Hmm... It doesn't look good, little one..." Rafiki muttered, inspecting Hatari's eye. He rummaged in his pouch and produced some colorful leaves that Hatari had never seen before. The baboon squeezed them until he extracted a white, milky substance.

"Brace yourself, this might sting a bit, but it will keep the eye clean and stop the bleeding," Rafiki told the cub as he rubbed the substance around his left eye.

Hatari winced and whimpered, but allowed Rafiki to do whatever he could to make his eye better.

When he was done cleaning and treating the cub's eye, Rafiki inspected the rest of the wounds, but found no broken bones. He was sure that the soreness would fade in time.

Rafiki then pulled out a weird-looking plant from his pouch. "Eat this root, it'll ease the pain a bit."

Hatari ate it gratefully. It tasted horrible, but he didn't complain.

"All right, now we just need to wait for the swelling to subside a bit, then we will see whether his eye will suffer permanent damage, other than a scar."

Karanga walked to Rafiki and nuzzled him gently. "Thanks for your help, Rafiki, what would we do without you..."

The baboon smiled and patted her shoulder. "Is... Is there anything else I can help with?", he asked, looking at her.

Karanga was sure he suspected something, but she shook her head. "Nothing I cannot handle, Rafiki. Thanks anyway."

The baboon nodded. "In that case, I suggest that Hatari gets some sleep, that root will make him drowsy. And if you don't see any improvement, let me know."

Karanga nodded and thanked him again.

Rafiki bid good bye to the pride, and even when he was far enough, nobody dared to say a word.

While the baboon had been tending to the cub, Thembi in the meantime had some time to calm down.

The King looked at Karanga intently and said, "Hatari was bound to find out sooner or later why I am unable to cope with his presence. If you two cannot understand this, and if you and cannot respect my wish for him to keep his distance, then allow me to reiterate that no one is forcing you both to stay here. The savannah is very big and there's plenty of space for another pride far away from here."

Karanga looked at her pride-mates, who were all shaking their heads at her. "You can't leave us! Please stay... You won't make it out there on your own..." they whispered softly.

The queen knew they were right. Leaving now, when the meat was scarce, would mean condemning herself and Hatari to a certain death.

"S'okay mom..." Hatari said drowsily, as a feeling of warmth began spreading all inside his body, bringing much needed relief. "If you leave, I will leave with you. If you want to stay, then I promise you I will keep my distance... I promise..."

Thembi looked at Hatari and nodded at him. "It's up to you both." He turned around and left Pride Rock, leaving the startled lionesses behind.

Kuuliza looked at Karanga. "Dear, when were you planning to tell me that things were not working out between you two?"

"It's not always been this bad, mom. Some days he's like the young Thembi cub I used to love, and others, he is someone I cannot recognize... But I don't want to talk about this right now."

The lionesses respected her wish and didn't question her any further.

Karanga picked up Hatari, who had fallen asleep, just as Rafiki predicted. She brought him inside the cave and kept watch over him, her heart breaking as she recalled what just happened.

She was also surprised at herself and how she managed to stand up to Thembi like that. At this point, Karanga was not even sure if Thembi would decide to keep her as Queen, or if he'd choose someone else. There was a lot of uncertainty in her future. But she knew for sure that she did the right thing today, and there were no regrets.

She eyed the sleeping cub. "Poor thing, you must be in such pain..." she whispered as she snuggled next to him. "If it makes you feel better, you are not alone; I am not feeling all too great either... You don't happen to have a bit of that root left for me, do you?"

Hatari muttered something in his sleep and rolled over.

Karanga smiled and kissed him. "Sweet dreams, my little one."

She fell asleep with her cub, while the rest of the pride agreed to give the Queen a break. They decided not to wake her up and let her stay with Hatari, while they went out looking for food.

Kuuliza led the hunting party instead, and she also tried to keep the lionesses from gossiping too much about her daughter's unhappy romantic situation.


	12. Rumours Spreading in the Savannah

_Chapter 12_

**Rumours Spreading in the Savannah**

Hatari was taking a walk on his own. As he walked he noticed that his right paw was healing because he was not limping as much any more. A couple of days after the accident he had already been able to open his left eye again, and the swelling was subsiding slowly. It was still very painful and he suffered from headaches every now and then, but all in all, he felt a lot better.

His mind was still troubled, though. It was hard to ignore the things Thembi said that day, it all kept coming back to him.

Karanga had sat down with him one evening, and explained to him why they could not leave the pride at this moment. He knew that if they left, they would die from hunger, because he couldn't fend for himself yet. He was still dependent from Karanga and the rest of the lionesses who hunted food for the pride.

After a while Hatari reached the place where he usually met with the hyenas. He sat down to wait and see if they would show up today.

He looked up at the stars for a while, and eventually decided to venture to the water hole nearby, to take a look at the wound. He stared at his reflection in the water, with a sad expression on his face.

"Father really believes it's true... He wouldn't make up a thing like that just to torture me, he was very serious about it..." he thought.

He lied down, sticking his paws into the water. "How could I have killed my own mother? I just can't figure that one out..." he said out loud, to no one in particular.

He closed his eyes and said, "Kitok, whatever happened that day, I swear I didn't do it on purpose... I wish Father could understand that..."

Hatari shook his head when he felt tears building up in his eyes. Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching.

The cub dried his face with a paw and stood up. He looked in the direction where he had heard the noise and smiled when he saw it was his three hyena friends. Only this time, an older hyena came with them.

"Hey, mom, look! There's the lion we told you about !" Shenzi said, running towards Hatari.

Shenzi noticed the cub's wound. "Whoa, Hatari, what's up, new tattoo?" she asked, examining the cub closely.

"I got hit by a wildebeest," Hatari replied, keeping an eye on Shenzi's mother. She was a lot bigger than the pups, but looked thin and tired.

Banzai approached and looked at Hatari's eye also. "Ow, that gotta hurt!"

"Only a lot..." Hatari muttered.

The bigger hyena stayed close, looking after her pups.

"You said she's your mother?" Hatari asked Shenzi.

The hyena nodded.

"Come, I want you to meet her," Shenzi said.

Hatari followed Shenzi silently, forgetting for a moment about Thembi and what he had said.

"Mom, this is Hatari, Hatari, this is mom." Shenzi said.

The older hyena looked down at the lion cub and smiled. Hatari couldn't help noticing her huge fangs, that according to Karanga, could crush bones with no effort.

"It's nice to finally meet you, my pups won't stop yapping about you," the hyena said. "My name is Akili."

"Nice to meet you too," he said, inspecting closely the first adult hyena he had ever met.

Akili smiled warmly and allowed the cub to look and sniff at ease.

Hatari finally looked at her and felt suddenly sad. "I am very sorry for what my father did to your husband and your pup..."

Akili nodded. "Don't worry about it, Hatari, you had nothing to do with that, you don't need to apologize. I am not angry with you."

Hatari smiled. Akili seemed to be nice and understanding.

"Hey, speaking of which, where's Ed?" the lion asked, looking around for the noisiest hyena of the trio.

"He's playing over there..." Akili said, pointing to some shrubs nearby.

"Ed! Come over here!" she called.

After a few seconds, the pup came to his mother, running and laughing maniacally.

"Oh, Ed, I hate it when you make that noise..." Akili said, licking the pup playfully.

Then she looked at Hatari again. "What are you doing here so late and alone anyway? It could be dangerous..." Akili said.

Hatari sighed. "I just really needed to take a walk..." the lion cub said, looking away. He sometimes felt as if the walls of the cave were crumbling down on him, and he found out that taking a walk would make him feel better.

Akili looked at him closely. "Hmm, if I am not mistaken, you have been crying, cub."

Hatari looked at the ground sadly.

The mother hyena approached even more. "If there's something I can do to help, just tell me. Shenzi told me you and your father don't get along, is that true?"

Hatari nodded. "That's an understatement. He hates my guts."

Akili sat down beside Hatari. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Noticing that the lion cub was perturbed, she decided to stop talking about Thembi.

"Why don't you go play with my kiddos? That'll cheer you up a bit," she suggested instead.

Hatari smiled and walked to where the three hyena cubs were playing together.

"Come on, Banzai! Gimme all ya got!" Shenzi shouted.

Banzai pounced on the female and both of them wrestled playfully.

Ed just sat down watching how his litter-mates played. Eventually, he decided to join in and jumped ungracefully into the fight. He landed on top of Shenzi, and bit Banzai's tail hard.

"Ouch! Stinky, spotted idiot! Don't bite so hard, Ed!" Banzai said, going for Ed's tail too.

"Banzai!" Akili scolded, "Don't call your brother that!"

"Sorry, mom!" Banzai said through clenched teeth, while holding Ed's tail in his mouth.

Hatari watched them for a moment, but he realized he was not in the mood for games tonight. His mind drifted back to Pride Rock.

"Everyone there thinks I am a murderer... How come Karanga is the only one to understand how things really are?" he thought.

He turned around and returned to Akili instead. Maybe she could give him some advice, from an adult's perspective.

"I know I can't fend for myself yet, but still, I wish I didn't have to go back there..." Hatari said, sitting down beside Akili while glancing at Pride Rock in the distance.

The hyena looked at him and licked his face gently. Her tongue felt much softer than the lionesses'.

"Listen, Hatari."

Hatari looked straight at her.

Smiling, Akili said, "We don't have much to offer, but you can always come hang out at the graveyard with us, whenever you need some time out."

Hatari nodded slowly, and sighed deeply. "Won't the other hyenas mind? I mean, with the whole rivalry thing going on..."

"Oh, some will, I am sure," she replied, "but I am their leader, so they will leave you alone if I tell them to."

Hatari looked at her. "You are the leader? Even though you're a girl?"

Akili chuckled. "Yup! That's how it works in our society. Ed and Banzai were born first, but it is Shenzi who will become the leader of the pack, when I cannot fulfill my duties any more."

"Wow..." Hatari whispered. He didn't know that Shenzi ranked that high in the pack, but it made sense now, how she seemed to be naturally good at bossing her siblings around, and they would follow her and obey her."

Akili went on, "We seem to have two factions, you see. There's a group of hyenas who'd love nothing more than watch all lions disappear, and there's the ones who would love to make peace and be allowed back into the Pride Lands. I tried explaining that to your father the night we met him, but he wouldn't listen."

"Typical..." grunted Hatari.

"Why, he doesn't listen to you either, I assume?"

"I have tried talking to him many times. But it's no use," the cub replied, holding back tears, "Unless your name's Mufasa, he won't listen to a word you say."

Akili nodded. "Ah, yes, the future King..."

They both fell silent for a moment. Akili regretted that it was not Hatari who was next in line for the throne. She had a feeling that her attempts at making peace would have been more fruitful with him, as he didn't seem to be biased towards hyenas.

"Anyway, will you come visit then?" she asked.

"But where is that graveyard? And how? Can I just walk in there and no one will jump on me or something?" he asked, as he had never been to the elephant graveyard before.

"Well, the graveyard is to the north, it's dark and barren and full of skeletons, not hard to miss! And don't worry about the other hyenas, I will make sure they all know that you are there as my personal guest. My kiddos will also keep an eye on you, so you will have our protection."

Hatari still looked undecided. "I'll keep it in mind, thank you for the offer." he said.

"Yeah. You think about it, cub," she said, "Although I hope for you that it won't be necessary, and that all your problems between you and your father will come to an end soon."

"Thank you," Hatari said sincerely.

He was seriously considering the idea of leaving the pride and moving in with the hyenas, but his thoughts were interrupted when he heard noisy laughter coming from Shenzi, Banzai and Ed.

The three hyena pups came running to their mother's side.

"Hey, whatcha talkin' about?" Banzai asked, as he frolicked around Akili.

Hatari looked at him and said, "I was just about to tell your mother that I must go back home now."

"Aww, leaving so quickly again? You never stay long!" Shenzi complained, sitting down next to Hatari.

The lion cub nodded. "I suppose Karanga will be worried about me... I am always afraid that she'll go looking for me and then find us all here," he said.

Akili patted the cub's head with one paw. "I guess your mother doesn't like hyenas either?"

Hatari shook his head, "No, she doesn't. But she's not as bad as Father. Mom actually felt bad for you and your pups when she heard what Thembi had done that day."

"In that case..." Akili said, looking pleadingly at Hatari, "Please don't tell anyone that we are still here... If he finds us, well... I don't think we will be given a second chance."

"I won't open my mouth! I promise!" Hatari said, smiling a bit.

The hyena smiled back. "Hurry home now, Hatari, and take care!" Akili told him.

"Will do! Bye, guys..." the cub replied. He waved to his friends with his paw and and headed back to Pride Rock.

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed watched him leave. "What do you think is wrong with him, mom? I still can't see why his pride hates him that much." Shenzi asked.

"I don't know, Shenzi, I don't know. But I have this feeling..."

The cubs looked at their mother expectantly.

"I think it's in our best interest to keep him on our side. I think he will seek our help soon. If we assist him, perhaps he will be able to help us back, when he's older. "

"Aaah, I see!" said Shenzi deviously, "He'll owe us one!"

Akili looked at her. "I wouldn't put it like that, but... Yes. He's the first lion I meet that's not biased towards us, so perhaps through him we can finally achieve some progress in our attempts at making peace...

The hyena pups shrugged, not realizing how important this was for their mother, and continued playing, while Akili lied down to rest her paws a bit. Akili knew very well that she was still breaking the law by being in Thembi's territory, but food was getting scarce around the elephant graveyard, and Akili didn't want her pups, specially Shenzi, to go hungry.

The rest of the hyenas who were on Akili's side felt it was very irresponsible of her to put herself and her pups in danger, but Akili was determined not to let her pups starve. She had already lost her husband, so she decided she would not lose her pups by just sitting there and doing nothing. She would put up a good fight first.

After a few minutes of resting, Akili and the hyena pups sneaked away to hide in their temporal den.

* * *

Hatari was still thinking about Akili's suggestion when he finally arrived to Pride Rock. He saw Karanga was up, waiting for him. The cub approached her, looking sad.

Karanga padded up to him slowly. "My cub, I have been looking for you... Where were you?" she asked, sounding worried.

Hatari sighed. "Just went for a walk, trying to sort things out in my head. I feel very confused right now, mom," he whispered, not wanting to be overheard by the rest.

Karanga nodded. "I can imagine, Hatari. What your father said must be hurting deep inside," she said, trying to look into Hatari's eyes, without achieving it. The cub kept looking away.

"Yes, it does hurt. But I can't make any sense of it, you know..." he replied, looking at the cave, where Thembi must be.

"Now that I know why he hates me, it feels like... like I just can't be bothered to try and make him like me any more. Nothing I could ever do will bring Kitok back, nothing..." he added after a few seconds of silence.

"Hatari, you need to trust me on this one," Karanga said, "You are not a murderer. The fact that your Father says so doesn't make it true. I was there when Kitok passed away, I saw it all happen. I saw you being born, and Kitok was extremely proud of having two beautiful sons. She smiled at you and started cleaning you. After that-"

Hatari looked at Karanga with his good eye wide open. He had never heard her talking about Kitok like that.

Karanga swallowed with some difficulty. "After that, Kitok felt a sudden pain, the last thing she said was that she felt very weak and dizzy. She was bleeding quite badly, we even thought a third cub was coming, but that was it. She simply stopped moving and never woke up again."

Hatari nuzzled Karanga, who looked like she was about to cry.

"It happened so quickly, Hatari... We couldn't even say good bye... I have no idea what happened to her, but there's one thing I know for sure. It wasn't you. You didn't do it."

"Have you told Father all this?" Hatari asked.

"A million times, my dear. But you know your father, he just won't listen. He was never able to cope with the loss of Kitok, and he took it all out on you, no matter what I said."

Hatari looked at her, with visible indecision. "I don't know what to think any more..." he said, and looked away.

Karanga sighed deeply, as she watched the cub struggle with his feelings.

"Listen, it's late and way past your bed time. Let's go get some rest, and tomorrow we will go to Rafiki's tree, to have your eye looked at."

Hatari nodded. "All right..."

"Will you join me in the cave tonight?" she wondered, since the cub had been sleeping somewhere else since his last talk with Thembi.

Hatari shook his head. "I'll be behind Pride Rock, by the ledge."

"I feel he doesn't trust me any more to take good care of him..." Karanga thought.

"I'll keep an eye on you, you know, if you want to sleep inside," she insisted.

"No, mom. I'll be ok, you can go check up on me later if you want," Hatari said. He nuzzled her quickly under the chin and walked away.

"Good night, my Hatari..." she whispered.

"G'night, mom..."

Hatari left Karanga behind, and headed towards a ledge located at the back of Pride Rock. It was not as big as the cave, but it was spacious enough for one or two lions, and the rocks around it offered protection from the sun and from the rain, so Hatari found it to be a decent place to spend the night. Most of all, he felt safe, not having to be so close to Thembi.

Hatari walked around in circles a couple of times and finally lay down to get some rest. He was staring at the horizon thoughtfully, when he noticed he was being observed by a lonely stork, perched near the ledge. The bird watched the cub intently.

"Weird... What's a stork doing here at this time of day?" Hatari thought.

The stork kept staring, making Hatari feel uneasy.

"Um... Sorry, but, what are you looking at?" Hatari said a bit annoyed, noticing that the stork was looking at his wound.

"Just came to check if the rumours were true... Everyone's talking about it!" the stork replied.

"Rumours? What rumours?" Hatari grunted.

"That one of the King's sons had been messing around with the wildebeest, and almost got himself killed!" the stork said, sounding a bit too excited.

Hatari felt very angry at the bird's intrusion.

"Well, now you can see for yourself! It's true! I was foolish enough to mess with the wildebeest, go tell everyone. I don't care. Now scram, before I pounce on you and eat you!" Hatari growled at the nosy stork.

He then rested his head on the rock floor and covered his wounded eye with his paw.

"Wow," the stork said, looking insulted, "I would have thought your father would teach you some manners..."

"Yeah? Like walking into someone else's den without permission, and stare at their wounds like they are some sort of freak?" Hatari replied exasperated, baring his teeth.

"Hmph!" the stork said as he flew away, and proceeded to spread the word and confirm the rumours.

"The second son is indeed wounded, and I think he'll carry a big, ugly scar on his eye..." he said to anybody who would listen.

The news of Hatari's accident spread quite quickly after that, and pretty soon a lot of the animals in the savannah were talking about the lion with the scar.

* * *

The next morning Hatari woke up very early, the sun wasn't even out yet. He felt very thirsty, so he decided to go to the waterhole and have a drink.

Out of habit, he rubbed his eyes with his paw, but whined when he touched his left eye. It was still sore. Hatari was glad that Rafiki would be taking a look at it later.

Once at the waterhole, Hatari bent over to take a drink. He still couldn't see much with his left eye, but his right eye alerted him to three other animals that were nearby. Hatari looked at them. They were three young cheetahs, sitting at the other side of the pool. The three of them were looking at Hatari without discretion and laughing at him.

Hatari tried to hear what they were saying, but they were too far. The cub tried to ignore them and bent over to drink some more, keeping an eye on the cheetahs as he did so. He wished they would just go away, but the cheetahs walked towards him instead.

They too were staring at Hatari's left eye and made nasty remarks about how bad the eye looked.

"Ewww, it looks gross!" the youngest one said.

Hatari rolled his eyes.

"What's the matter? Came to take a good look too, huh? Never saw anybody wounded before?" Hatari asked softly.

The three cheetahs looked at each other. The oldest one of them, being somewhat of a trouble-maker, didn't let pass the opportunity to bully and tease the young lion.

He walked to Hatari and asked, "What happened? Is it true, all that stampede thing we have been hearing about?"

Hatari grunted. He didn't know what to say. He felt ashamed, knowing that all the animals were now aware of how his first hunt attempt had been a failure, and had ended in disaster.

"Come on, cub, tell us!" another cheetah said, moving his tail from side to side expectantly.

Hatari refused to answer. Instead he looked around for possible escape routes, in case he needed to make a quick getaway.

The oldest cheetah snickered. "Hey, I think that besides losing the eye, he also lost his tongue!" he taunted.

The other two laughed at the cruel joke.

"I didn't lose the eye, I can still see through it very well!" Hatari finally snapped, "And even if I could only see with one eye, it wouldn't be hard to notice that you are nothing but a stinky, spotted idiot!" he said, recalling the words Banzai told Ed when he bit his brother's tail too hard.

The younger cheetahs laughed and whispered "Oooooo..." at Hatari's sudden comeback.

The older cheetah replaced his smirk for an angry scowl.

"Oh, yeah?" he said, "Well, speaking of spots, can you tell me how many red spots you've got on your fur?"

The cheetah in the middle, knowing what the oldest one was about to do, got suddenly nervous. "Come on, brother, cut it out, we'll get in trouble..."

"Yeah, he's the King's son, his father could get nasty with us, Mom will freak out and we'll never hear the end of it," the youngest one added.

The oldest cheetah ignored his brothers.

"So, cub, if you can see just fine, how many red spots have you got?" he asked again, approaching Hatari menacingly.

Hatari wrinkled his nose and bared his teeth. "I don't have a single red spot in my pelt.", he muttered.

Just then, the cheetah hit Hatari hard on the ribs, drawing blood with his claws.

Hatari shrieked and fell on his side, losing his balance. He hadn't expected the cheetah to be so strong.

The two other cheetahs backed a few paces, fearing that the King might show up any minute now to defend his son.

But Thembi didn't come. No one had heard or seen what just happened.

The oldest cheetah chuckled satisfied. "Count again, cub. Now I can see -with two good eyes, if I may add- who's the spotted idiot here. You don't even know how to count how many spots you have on your pelt!" he said, sniggering as he humiliated the lion cub further.

Hatari was still lying on the floor, breathing rapidly. He didn't say anything else, feeling afraid at the thought of being hit again.

The cheetah snorted. "Come on, brothers, I'm bored. Let's go."

Looking at Hatari over his shoulder, he added, "This scarred thing won't call us idiots again."

The three cheetahs walked away, calling Hatari hurtful names that, fortunately, he wasn't able to hear.

Slowly, the cub stood up and walked back to Pride Rock, feeling slight pain on his ribs and a burning sensation where the claws had pierced the skin, but it was nothing to worry about.

Hatari's pride had received the worst hit, though. All this staring and taunting was new to him, and he wasn't sure how to cope with it. He cried a bit, a combination of anger and sadness building up inside him.

"Is this the way it's going to be from now on? Am I nothing but a walking scar to everyone else? Should I stand up to them, or try to ignore them?" the lion wondered.

When he finally arrived back at Pride Rock, he saw that the lionesses were already up, and they had gathered around Karanga. The cub looked at them curiously, wondering what was going on.

"Karanga, let me tell you, I agree with your mother," Anasa said, looking at the Queen fixedly.

Karanga looked around nervously. "Oh, girls, are you sure about this?" she asked to no one in particular.

The lionesses nodded.

Kuuliza said, "My girl, Rafiki can confirm this, of course, just to be sure. But, what can I say? You seem to have all the symptoms, and you are putting on weight even though our meals have not been all that great the past few days. It's the only explanation, don't you think?"

Hatari approached them. "Mom, what's going on, are you okay?" the cub asked, looking worried.

Karanga looked down startled, she had not noticed Hatari approaching at all.

"Hatari!" she exclaimed, "Yes, yes, I'm all right, don't you worry about me."

"Are you sure? Because I just heard that you have to go to Rafiki..."

Karanga nodded. She hesitated for a moment, as she wasn't sure how Hatari would take the news.

"Hatari, we're not sure yet, but it could be that I am expecting," she said.

"Expecting what?" Hatari asked, looking confused.

"Expecting a little lion or lioness. The pride seems to think that I am showing all the symptoms."

Hatari's good eye opened wide in surprise. He stared at Karanga for a moment, not sure how he felt about this. He feared that Karanga would be too busy taking care of her own babies to pay attention to him.

He swallowed and tried to smile. "That's... That's nice mom... Really."

Karanga could see straight through the cub, but she had thought of a way to cheer him up.

"If it is true, then I'll need all your help, Hatari."

"My help? How?"

"Well, Mufasa will probably be very busy with Thembi, and the lioness cubs will be joining the hunting parties by then. I'll need you to play with the cubs and teach them all you know, and keep an eye on them so they won't get in trouble."

Hatari's expression brightened up and nodded with excitement. He actually liked the sound of that very much. "That sounds great!"

Karanga smiled at Hatari and nuzzled him gently.

The rest of the lionesses looked at them, all of them smiling at the thought of new cubs in the pride.

"Don't keep us in suspense any longer, go to Rafiki!" Sita urged her.

The rest of the pride agreed wholeheartedly.

Karanga stood up. "Come Hatari, let's have your eye checked out, and I'll ask Rafiki what he thinks, while we're there."

Hatari nodded and followed Karanga.

The Queen stopped for a second and told the lionesses, "Please, tell Zazu to meet us by Rafiki's tree, and don't tell anything to Thembi, I want to be the one to do so."

The lionesses promised they wouldn't say anything, and watched excitedly as the Queen walked away.

Karanga and Hatari walked together, heading to Rafiki's baobab.

Hatari was very curious about the new cubs, and Karanga tried to answer his questions as best as she could.

"Okay, so the male lion puts the cubs inside the female, I get that. But... how does that work, then? How does the male do that? Isn't it handier just to keep the cubs outside and have them grow out there?" the cub asked, shooting one question after another.

Karanga had not prepared herself for this talk yet, but now that Hatari was so curious about the subject, she preferred to explain this to him, right now. She knew Hatari all too well, and he was bound to go asking everyone else if she didn't answer his questions right away.

She chuckled a bit. "It's like this... The cubs start very, very small, Hatari, so small that you cannot even see them. If they are not placed inside the female, they will never be able to grow. But once the cubs are inside the female, they will start growing, feeding from the food that she eats. They will only come out when they are big enough to survive."

By the time they had reached Rafiki's tree, Karanga had explained to Hatari in detail how lions procreate.

Hatari looked slightly grossed out, but Karanga had assured him that it was not as bad as it sounded, and he'd understand better when he was older.

"Rafiki, we're here!" Karanga called.

The tree began shaking and the baboon dropped out from some branches, landing in front of the queen and the cub.

"Ah, it is always nice to have visitors," Rafiki said chuckling. He looked down at Hatari's wounded face and motioned for the cub to come closer.

Hatari approached Rafiki. He hoped he would get some of that nasty root again, he had the most awesome dreams the night he ate it.

"All right, let's take a look at this..." Rafiki said and held the cub's face gently with one hand, turning it slowly from one side to another.

"Look at me, Hatari, can you try with both eyes?" Rafiki said.

The cub nodded and looked up and Rafiki, trying to open his left eye as much as possible.

Rafiki studied the wound carefully. "Good news, little one. The eye is okay, you will be able to see just fine once the swelling subsides completely.

Hatari smiled and felt relieved.

The baboon climbed up his tree quickly. Karanga and Hatari could hear noises coming from the inside of the branches, and after a few seconds, Rafiki came down with a gourd full of water. He started cleaning the cub's eye.

Hatari grunted slightly as Rafiki did his job.

"I know it still hurts, but it is looking a lot better, trust me. The wound is closing, there's no more blood," Rafiki said.

Hatari remained silent, complaining a little once in a while. Karanga looked at the cub closely, and just then, she noticed the claw marks Hatari had on his side.

"Hatari! What happened to you? These claw marks are fresh!" she asked.

Rafiki tilted his head and looked at the cub's side. "Hmm... looks like he has been hit by someone..." he said, as he continued cleaning the eye, "Did you get into a fight?"

Hatari shrugged and remained silent.

"Hatari, tell me. Who did this to you?" Karanga asked, fearing that Thembi might have hurt the poor cub again.

Hatari sighed deeply. "Three cheetahs were teasing me because of my wound. One of them hit me. But it doesn't hurt much anyway," he said, recalling he had been called 'scarred thing'. Those words had hurt him even more than the blow to the ribs.

"Oh, those three cheetahs, I know who you mean. They are nothing but trouble! If I see them again..." she growled for a moment, and then started licking the small wounds on Hatari's side, wiping the dust away.

Hatari chuckled slightly and wiggled for an instant. "Mom, you tickle me..." he said, squirming.

"Don't move, Hatari..." Rafiki said, still working on his eye.

The baboon cleaned it some more, and then blew on it gently so the water would dry. After a few seconds, Rafiki patted Hatari between the ears. "All set, young prince."

Turning to Karanga, he added, "Try to keep that eye as clean as possible."

She nodded. "What about his swollen face?"

Rafiki looked at the cub again. "It's because of the kick he received. But it will be back to normal in a few days. It's already looking better."

"Thanks, Rafiki," the Queen said and nuzzled Rafiki under the chin.

Rafiki chuckled. "Oh, it's nothing... Remember, if you see the wound is not healing, come and see me again."

Karanga looked at Rafiki, hesitant. "Er... do you have some time, Rafiki? There is something else I need to ask you."

"Of course I do, fire away!" he said.

"Just a moment..." Karanga said, and nuzzled Hatari on the cheek.

"Hatari, over there by that rock, Zazu is waiting for you. He will take you home."

Hatari looked and indeed, the bird was waiting for him. He thanked Rafiki and walked away, looking disappointed that he didn't get to eat the nasty root again.

Rafiki could sense that the cub had a lot in his mind.

"Hatari..." the baboon called.

The lion turned to him. "Yes?"

"Before you go, come here, I want to tell you a secret..."

Karanga looked at the cub as he approached Rafiki again. She smiled, hoping Rafiki could cheer Hatari up.

"Listen..." Rafiki said, "The tortoise shell spoke to me this morning..."

"Oh, yeah? And what did it say?" Hatari asked, with little enthusiasm.

"Well... it hinted that you were going to be a very smart lion when you grew up, and that you would get what you most desire."

Hatari looked at Rafiki in awe. "Really? You are not making this up?"

"Of course I am not making it up!" Rafiki replied, and kissed the cub on top of the head. "Now, don't worry about this wound any more, because it won't get any worse," Rafiki added, thinking that this was what was bringing the cub down. Rafiki didn't know that Hatari already knew his father thought he was a murderer.

Hatari nodded sadly. "I won't worry about the wound any more. Though I don't like the idea of being a scarred thing for the rest of my life..." he muttered.

Rafiki, with his excellent hearing, understood the cub's words. "Now, who told you that you were a scarred thing?" he asked, looking a bit angry all of a sudden.

Hatari sighed. "The cheetahs said that. And everyone else too, they are all talking about it, they keep staring at my eye like all of a sudden there's nothing else there but this nasty wound."

"I am sure they will forget about this soon enough, once your wound is healed and your eye goes back to normal," Rafiki reassured him.

Hatari shrugged again. "Can I please go back home now? I feel a bit tired." Hatari asked. He was longing for a nap.

Rafiki nodded. "All right, Hatari, but, don't ever say that again, you are not a scarred thing. You are a very beautiful lion, worth a star."

Hatari smiled at Rafiki's words. "Thanks, Rafiki," the cub said. He gave a head-butt to both Rafiki and Karanga, and went to find Zazu.

The hornbill looked up when the cub approached, and together they headed back to Pride Rock.

Karanga turned to Rafiki, who seemed to be staring into space, looking worried.

"Rafiki? Are you okay?" she asked.

"Huh?" he asked, turning at her. "Yes, yes, it's nothing. I was just thinking about what I saw in my shell."

"Was it true, what you said about Hatari?"

"Yes, I would never lie about these things, my dear Karanga. However, that's not all the shell said. What Hatari just said has made me understand some signs that had not been very clear to me this morning, that's all."

Karanga looked at him with curiosity, but he changed the subject.

"So what did you need to ask me?" he asked.

Karanga swallowed. "The lionesses seem to think that I could be expecting cubs."

Rafiki stared at her intently. "Do you feel anything out of the ordinary?"

Karanga nodded. "I couldn't hold down my last meals very well, and I feel tired a lot lately. Mom noticed this morning that I seem to be gaining weight, even after throwing up everything and not having had much to eat. Our hunts have been difficult..."

Rafiki listened carefully to her, as he inspected the lioness' body. "I'm going to touch your tummy now, just try to stay still."

Karanga nodded and tried to suppress a bit of laughter, as the baboon was tickling her a bit.

Rafiki felt around her tummy carefully for a moment. He patted Karanga on the back when he was done.

"Your pride-mates were right, Karanga. If I am not mistaken, you will be the mother of two cubs," Rafiki told her, smiling broadly.

Karanga looked back at him, speechless for a moment. "I see... Wow... I was beginning to think that I would never get cubs, you know... It took so long..."

Rafiki looked at her. "Karanga... do I see worry in your face?"

The lioness nodded. "As happy as this makes me, I was hoping I could just leave and take Hatari away from here soon, but now I cannot do that. I cannot hunt and take care of three cubs on my own..."

"Why do you have to leave?" Rafiki asked.

Karanga told him all about the incident with Thembi the day of Hatari's accident.

Rafiki shook his head when she was done talking. "Poor Hatari... We knew this would happen eventually, but still..."

Karanga sighed and looked away. "And now I must go and tell Thembi that I'm expecting... I seriously have no idea how he will react."

"There's only one way to find out..."

Karanga took a deep breath and stood up. "I'd better be going, Rafiki. Thanks again for your time, and for looking after Hatari."

"You're most welcome, Karanga. I will pop by later to bring you a mixture that you can drink whenever you feel like you're going to be sick."

Karanga thanked him again, and made her way back to Pride Rock, feeling a lot heavier all of a sudden, now that it was confirmed that she was carrying two babies inside her.

Rafiki climbed up his tree again after Karanga left. He still felt a little disturbed by what Hatari had told him a few minutes ago.

"Scarred thing...", he repeated to himself, "What was it that you were trying to tell me..." he said, speaking to his tortoise shell and staring at the shapes in it.

Rafiki looked up after a moment... "A scar... Imminent disaster... What does this all mean? You are making no sense!" he said out loud, looking frustrated.

Eventually he gave up, more confused than he was before. "I need to give this some rest... Better start working on Karanga's concoction, that will clear my mind."

Rafiki climbed down his tree and went to gather the necessary ingredients, while he thought about Hatari and Karanga, and the tough situation they were both going through.


	13. A Nickname To Go By

_Chapter 13_

**A Nickname To Go By**

Karanga arrived to Pride Rock after having talked to Rafiki. The lionesses looked at her expectantly, but since Thembi was nearby, they didn't dare to ask her anything.

Karanga simply nodded at them, and they all smiled excitedly in return.

After confirming with Zazu that Hatari was safe, back at his ledge, she decided it was time to talk to Thembi.

The Queen and King had barely exchanged any words ever since Hatari's accident, so Karanga was feeling a bit nervous.

Thembi was resting by the tip of the promontory. He was just back from doing his morning round, and stared down the promontory thoughtfully. He felt he was being watched, and looked over his shoulder. He saw Karanga was walking towards him.

"Good morning," she greeted him.

"Morning," he answered curtly.

"Listen, Thembi... Can we talk?"

"If this is about Hatari again, you're wasting your time," he replied.

Karanga frowned. "It's not about Hatari."

Thembi looked at her. "Fine, what is it then?"

Karanga looked around. "Not here, let's go to the three rocks," she said, wishing to have some privacy, since she didn't know how Thembi would react, and she didn't want the lionesses witnessing everything.

Thembi looked at her curiously, it had been a while since Karanga had asked him to go there.

"All right, then, let's go," he said, without questioning her further.

Karanga sighed as she walked with Thembi towards the three rocks, a spot they had reserved for when they wanted to spend time alone together.

Thembi looked at the lioness, as she walked slightly ahead of him. He knew Karanga longed for her own cubs, and she had solicited mating several times before. He had complied, of course, but so far, she hadn't given him any cubs yet. Thembi thought she was willing to try again today, which surprised him, since they were barely in speaking terms.

Karanga in the meantime kept thinking about the last time they had actually walked this path together, it seemed like a long time ago to her. Having cubs was part of becoming an adult lioness, and despite the fact that she knew Thembi didn't love her, she had to look past that at some point, and had to ask Thembi for his assistance.

After all, it was his duty, as male of the pride. But needless to say, Karanga would have cherished those moments a lot more if Thembi had actually loved her, rather than it being an obligation to him.

Karanga was bracing herself for a very awkward situation.

Finally, the two lions arrived at the three rocks. The rocks were very big and placed close together. Tall grass had grown around them, but inside the triangle that the rocks formed, the grass had been trampled, to form a nice and cozy clearing.

They crossed the grass that surrounded the rocks and reached the clearing, where they could sit down and not be seen easily.

Karanga sat beside Thembi and looked at him intently.

His severe expression didn't change. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, not moving a single muscle.

"Okay, so here we are. I take it you want to try again?" he asked.

Karanga sighed and shook her head. "Not today, Thembi."

The King looked at her curiously, wondering why she brought him here then.

"I know you and I are far from the ideal couple, but-"

"Hmm, now _that's_ news," he interrupted.

"Thembi, please listen to me for once!" she said, exasperated.

The lion looked away and grunted. "Fine. What do you have to say?"

"I know we are not working well together, but we will have to make an effort."

Thembi looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

After a moment of hesitation, she finally said, "Rafiki has confirmed that I am expecting two cubs."

Thembi blinked a couple of times, his expression softening considerably. "You? Pregnant?" he asked, looking a bit surprised at Karanga, as he also had started to question her ability to bear cubs.

She was startled by his reaction. "Well... yes... I have been feeling strange for the last few weeks, and, look," she said, pointing to her abdomen, "it is getting bigger..."

Thembi looked at her and nodded. "Yes... I hadn't noticed that before..."

Karanga bit her lip nervously as she looked at him. "Thembi, I need to know... I need to know that you won't despise them and make their lives miserable, just because they came out from me, whom you hate so much," she said softly.

Thembi looked at her, frowning. "What are you talking about? I don't hate you, Karanga," he said firmly.

The Queen looked away for a moment.

"It's just... No one can replace Kitok in my heart, no one, not even you."

Karanga looked at him again.

"I won't lie to you," he went on, "there was a time when I thought that you and I could eventually have worked out together. You are a beautiful and smart lioness, and after Kitok, I can't think of anyone else who is more suitable to be the Queen of the Pride Lands. But you and I think very differently, way too much. We clash on every opinion and we keep driving each other mad. I have questioned myself many times whether I did the wrong thing by choosing you, but you were, and still are, the best of the pride. What I am trying to say is... I don't hate you, Karanga."

Karanga stared at her paws, not knowing what to say. She had expected Thembi to be mad, to be indifferent, but instead he opened his heart to her, and he had actually looked pleased to hear about her future cubs.

"So you're not upset?" she asked.

"Of course not. Why would I be? If I didn't want to have any cubs with you, I wouldn't have come here in the first place, when you asked for my assistance."

Karanga nodded. She knew he was right, he could have easily said no, if he had wanted to.

"I actually think this is just what our pride needs right now, new life..." Thembi added. He kept to himself the fact that he was glad that Karanga would be busy with other tasks, other than taking care of Hatari all the time.

Karanga let out a deep breath of relief. She looked up and saw that Thembi was genuinely smiling. She hadn't seen him smile like that in quite a while.

"I'll go back to Pride Rock now, I bet the pride is dying from curiosity," she said.

Thembi nodded at her and said, "I'll see you around."

Karanga left the clearing, leaving the King behind.

Thembi's smile faded slightly when Karanga left, and he looked up at the sky with a pang of guilt. "No. My heart belongs to Kitok. I must not see Karanga in the same light, I can't. The fact that she's having cubs changes nothing, nothing!" he repeated to himself several times.

He shook his head, as if wanting to shake away his thoughts about Karanga, and he walked away from the three rocks, feeling in a much better mood.

* * *

A couple of months went by. Karanga was now sporting a big tummy, and she was forced to stop joining the hunting parties for now. She was slower and would get tired easily, so for her own safety and that of her cubs, she stayed behind and kept an eye on Pride Rock instead.

Mufasa was turning into a handsome adolescent lion, and he had begun to show the first signs of a golden-brown mane growing on his head.

Sarabi and Sarafina were very fond of Mufasa, specially Sarabi. She and Mufasa spent lots of time together; they went for walks, they looked at the stars at night and they shared secrets they wouldn't dare to tell anyone else. Sarafina also spent time with Mufasa, but not like Sarabi. Still, the lion and the two lionesses got along very well and enjoyed each other's company.

Ndani had always preferred to hang out with the lionesses than with the lions, but she would join the other cubs sometimes, for a game or a walk. She was turning out to be a good huntress too, but a bit of an impatient one and more often than not she had scared animals away, not being able to wait for the right moment.

Of Anasa's cubs, only Mahali had survived the drought. But she promised to be a great huntress. She invented her own games where she would exercise and play at the same time. She sometimes played with Mufasa and the other lionesses, but she also avoided Hatari, by orders of the King. Mahali was waiting anxiously for Karanga's cubs to arrive, knowing she would soon have other pride-mates to play with.

As for Hatari, the cub was still a lot smaller and skinnier than his brother, but he had also started to grow a mane. He looked like a thinner, younger version of Thembi, Karanga had told him. His wounded eye had healed completely and his face was no longer swollen. As predicted by Rafiki, the eye itself was not damaged, but a long scar crossing down his eye remained, as a reminder of that horrible day.

Hatari was still living a very difficult life, although keeping his distance had certainly made things easier for him. Some animals still teased him because of the scar. Instead of calling him 'the lion with the scar' as they had been doing so for several weeks, they shortened it to 'Scar', as it seemed to suit the lion better than his own name.

Hatari disliked being called that way, but he had grown to hate his own name even more, after finding out why he was called that way. So he was beginning to get used to the nickname.

Hatari was sharpening his claws against a log when he caught a scent, a scent he knew very well. He sniffed the air and searched around until he found where the scent was coming from. He looked around several times, and very slyly, he disappeared behind some bushes.

Hatari kept looking behind him now and then, to make sure he wasn't being followed. After a minute or two, he arrived to where he had detected the scent. There were Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, thirsty and hungry.

The hyenas had also grown a lot the past few months, and they didn't look like defenceless pups any more.

"What are you doing so close to Pride Rock? You shouldn't be here! My father is nearby, you could get in trouble!" Hatari warned them.

"Yeah but we're damn hungry!" he said, knowing his mother wasn't nearby and she wouldn't tell him to watch his language.

Shenzi added, "Yes... We haven't eaten in several days..."

Hatari looked at them, trying to think of something.

"Come on, Hatari, we know you lions have got lotsa food... Why don'tcha bring us some, pal?" Shenzi asked.

Banzai nodded in agreement while Ed laughed happily just at the mention of food.

Hatari thought for a moment. Sighing, he said, "Well, I'll see what I can do..."

"Great!" Banzai shouted, but hushed immediately when he saw Hatari motioning for him to shut up.

"But you mustn't stay here, my father is checking the borders, he might find you..."

"Where do we meet, then?" Shenzi asked.

"The usual place?" Hatari suggested.

"Can't do," Shenzi said, " Your father has discovered the temporal den, and he keeps checking on it constantly.

After a second or two, Hatari replied, "Fine, I'll go to the borders of that graveyard of yours. Just be sure that none of your friends will try to eat me!"

Banzai cheered. "No problem, pal, we'll take care of that!" he said, and, without warning, he jumped on Hatari, making him lose his balance and fall down to the ground.

"Banzai!" Hatari said from under the hyena's body, "Let me up, now!"

Banzai and Shenzi laughed hysterically. "We are still stronger than you, you weak lion!" Banzai said playfully, as he bit Hatari's ears and tail.

Hatari growled and snarled as he tried to stand up, but Banzai's weight kept him pinned down to the ground.

"Come on, Banzai! Or I won't bring you guys any food at all!"

The hyena backed off quickly and sat down a few paces away from Hatari, letting the lion free.

"That's more like it ," Hatari said as he shook himself. Dust and grass flew from the lion's body. "Well, see you near the graveyard, then."

The hyenas nodded and left the place quickly, before Thembi might show up.

Hatari started walking back to Pride Rock. He saw his father in the distance, marking their territory and checking that there weren't intruders around. Hatari sighed and continued walking, until he heard his father calling him.

"Hey, you!" Thembi shouted.

Hatari pricked his ears and looked around to see if the King was addressing someone else. He looked back at Thembi. "Who, me?" he asked, with uncertainty.

"Yeah, you!" Thembi replied bitterly.

Hatari walked to where his father was, wondering what he might want. He couldn't help feeling afraid as he got closer.

"What is it, Father?" Hatari asked shyly.

"Are you heading to Pride Rock now?" Thembi asked, as he sniffed the grass around him, without looking at his son.

"Yes, Father," Hatari replied, tilting his head a little, with curiosity.

"Good. When you get there, tell Mufasa to hurry up and come here. He's late, and it is important that he-" Thembi suddenly interrupted himself. He sniffed repeatedly, because he had caught a strange scent in the air.

"What is it?" Hatari asked, sniffing too, not being able to catch anything in particular.

"Hmm... I swear I smelled something..." Thembi muttered to himself. He continued sniffing around until his eyes fell on Hatari. He sniffed harder and noticed that the smell was back.

Hatari shrugged and started walking away when Thembi suddenly growled in anger.

"I think I know where that smell is coming from..." he said, and approached Hatari slowly.

The smaller lion shuddered. "Wh- where is it coming from?" he asked nervously.

Thembi approached his son even more, until he was only a few inches away from the young lion. He lowered his head and started sniffing Hatari carefully.

"The smell comes from you!" Thembi roared angrily.

"What do you mean? What smell?" Hatari asked, feeling very scared.

"You have been with hyenas! You smell like them!" Thembi growled.

Hatari recalled he had just been pounced on by Banzai and his odour must have stuck to his own fur.

"Oh, yeah, that..." Hatari mumbled, trying to improvise.

"What in the world were you doing with the hyenas?" Thembi snarled again, looking at the cub in anger.

"I just wrestled one, Father..." Hatari explained.

"Wrestled? Just wrestled? Lions DO NOT wrestle with hyenas! You see one, you notify me immediately!" Thembi roared.

"But... these hyenas were okay, they wouldn't hurt me..." Hatari tried to explain.

"I don't care if they wouldn't hurt a fly, lions aren't even supposed to hang out with hyenas! They are inferior and unworthy traitors!" Thembi snarled, looking away and staring angrily at the horizon.

"I am sorry, Father... It won't happen again," Hatari said, feeling once again that his father was being unfair.

"Get out of my sight and tell Mufasa to come," Thembi said coldly.

Hatari nodded silently and walked away. "I don't care about what he thinks this time, the hyenas are my only friends, and I won't lose them!" he thought, as he returned to Pride Rock.

He heard Thembi shouting in the distance, "And you better take a bath! I don't want you to smell like a hyena if you plan on sleeping near my cave!"

"Yes, sir," Hatari replied as he rolled his eyes.

Hatari arrived to Pride Rock, and headed straight for Mufasa, who was sitting nearby, talking to Sarabi. She seemed to be enjoying Mufasa's company greatly, and when she saw Hatari approaching, she couldn't hide a grimace of disappointment.

"Hey, Mufasa, Father wants to see you. Over there," Hatari told his brother, pointing with his paw in Thembi's direction.

"Oh, must I go now? I was talking to Sarabi..." Mufasa said.

"I'm afraid so, he was already going on about how you were late and should have been there ages ago..." Hatari replied.

Mufasa's eyes widened. "Drat, I forgot! The border patrol lesson was supposed to be this morning!"

He turned to Sarabi. "I have to go now, I'm very sorry!" Mufasa told the lioness.

"It's okay, we can talk later," she replied, smiling understandingly and feeling a bit guilty for having distracted him from his lessons.

Mufasa smiled back and winked at her, and ran off to meet Thembi at the border.

Sarabi sighed as Mufasa disappeared, and then she lied down, closing her eyes, purring happily.

Hatari sat down and looked at her for a moment. She was also growing up and looking more and more like the adult lionesses.

Sarabi opened her eyes again and was surprised to find Hatari still sitting there, looking at her intently.

"Um, do you need something?" she asked.

Hatari shook his head. "I was just... well, I hadn't really noticed how pretty you were, that's all," he replied shyly, admiring the lioness' features.

She looked away, feeling a bit uncomfortable when she heard Hatari's compliment. "Oh, um, thanks," she said, and looked away.

Hatari sat down and cleared his throat. "Haven't you noticed something, by the way?" he asked.

She turned to him, and fixed her gaze on his left side. "Sorry, your scar still looks the same. I don't think it will fade any more..." she replied.

Hatari's ears drooped. "I am not talking about the scar, silly..." he said as he looked down and showed her the top of his head.

She looked closer, and noticed his mane was growing also. "Oh... I see it now, you're getting a mane too..." she said, with little enthusiasm.

"Yes," he said proudly, "Mom says it will be black, like Father's..." he added.

She nodded disinterestedly, and she yawned. "I am going to get some sleep," she said, and walked away, lying down under the shade of a small tree nearby.

Hatari saw her leave and looked away. "Yet we almost had a party when Mufasa showed his mane off, didn't we?" he thought, feeling angry towards Sarabi, but also angry with himself.

He swore he wouldn't keep trying to establish contact with the lionesses, but somehow he always ended up in a situation where he couldn't hold back and ended up trying again.

"Why in the world do I put myself through this if I know what will happen?" he said, walking away.

Knowing that Thembi wasn't nearby, Hatari roamed Pride Rock freely for a short while. He took a look around the cave, greeted Karanga, stood up on the promontory like his father did... The first thing that met his eyes were the remains of a gazelle that the lionesses had hunted recently. There was still enough meat left on several bones.

Looking around and making sure no one was nearby, Hatari climbed down Pride Rock, grabbed one of the bones with his mouth, and headed straight towards the northern border.

Feeling rejected by Sarabi, he decided to seek some comfort with his friends, as well as bring them some food, that they were so desperately craving. Hatari didn't care about what Thembi had said about hyenas. He would help them even if his father had forbidden it.

As Hatari walked towards the elephant graveyard, he kept looking back, just to make sure he was not being followed by a lioness or by Thembi himself.

"Good, no one's near..." he thought, but he was mistaken. Hatari had forgotten to look up.

Zazu had seen Hatari stealing meat from what would be tonight's meal. The bird was expecting Hatari to eat it, but seeing that he was walking away instead, Zazu became intrigued and decided to follow the lion closely, by air.

The lion arrived at the border of the elephant graveyard. He dropped the food on the ground and looked around at the eerie place. Akili was right, the elephant graveyard was not hard to miss at all. Other than bones, there were almost no plants or bushes growing in there. Hatari understood then why the hyenas had to look for food elsewhere.

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed spotted the lion, who was still peeking at the graveyard over the ridge. They hurried to greet him.

"We thought you weren't coming, Hatari!" Shenzi said as she head-butted him a bit too hard.

Hatari rubbed his forehead with one paw.

Banzai stretched himself. "Yeah, what took you so long?" he asked.

Ed laughed a little and drooled as he saw the gazelle's leg Hatari had brought along.

"Sorry guys, I had a little trouble with you-know-who." Hatari replied. He took the meat and offered it to the hyenas, who started eating immediately.

Zazu gasped when he saw this. Not only had Hatari befriended the hyenas, he was also stealing food from the pride to feed them!

"Oh," Zazu thought, "The King will go insane when he hears about this, his own son..."

"So," Banzai said, talking with his mouth full, "what was that you mentioned about having trouble with the old one?"

Hatari turned his face away, feeling a little disgusted by Banzai's manners when he ate, and replied bitterly, "The old one has forbidden me to see you again."

"What?" Shenzi and Banzai said in unison, and then looked at each other puzzled.

"That's it. He ordered me to never get near you again," Hatari repeated.

Shenzi looked a bit upset.

"I always thought you were kinda smart," she said, "Why the heck would you tell him _we_ were your friends? That was the stupidest thing to do!"

Hatari looked at Shenzi, a little amazed by her reaction, but his amazement turned into anger very quickly. "I didn't tell him anything! It was Banzai's stinky body odour the one that told my father I had been with you!" he shouted back, pulling his claws out.

"Stinky? Hah!" Banzai said, "Lions are the ones who stink around here..." he said, sniffing Hatari and making a grimace of disgust.

Hatari got angrier and, grabbing the gazelle's leg with his mouth, he started walking away.

"No, no, wait!" Shenzi shouted as she watched how their meal disappeared.

Hatari turned around with the leg still in his mouth. After a while, he dropped it on the ground again. The hyenas ran to it and started eating again before Hatari changed his mind.

Hatari watched them silently and flinched slightly when he heard Shenzi cracking the bone of the leg with her teeth, rather effortlessly.

When Shenzi was done eating, she asked, "How did your father noticed you had been with us?"

Hatari shrugged. "Banzai had pounced on me, and it seems his scent stuck to my fur. Father noticed it when I got near him."

"Oh, I see..." she said as she cleaned her face with a paw.

Banzai and Ed continued eating, while Ed coughed once in a while, choking sometimes by eating very big pieces of meat and trying to swallow without chewing them.

Banzai looked up after he was done eating. "So, I ain't gonna be able to play with you anymore? Because my odor will stick to your 'royal' fur?" he asked sarcastically.

Hatari sighed. "I guess I will have to take a swim every time I come see you," he replied.

He didn't like water much, but he was willing to do it just to keep in touch with them.

Banzai grinned. "Well, prepare yourself for a bath, my buddy, cause, I challenge you to a wrestling match!" he said as he jumped on Hatari. The lion lost his balance and fell to the ground for the second time in one day.

"Banzai, cut that out!" Hatari said laughing, as he played and wrestled with the male hyena.

Shenzi sat down a few paces away and watched the match, cheering her brother. "Way to go, Banzai! Get his throat! Bite the tail, the tail!" she shouted happily.

Ed was not paying attention to the fight for a change, and was pacing from one side to another restlessly. He started tracing a strange scent, and, lifting his head to see where it came from, he came face to face with Zazu.

Ed started laughing hysterically. Banzai and Shenzi, who knew their brother's mode of communication very well, could tell that this time his laughter was full of alarm and concern.

Both hyenas turned to see what was bothering Ed. When they saw Zazu, standing there with a stern face, the two hyenas froze immediately.

Hatari stood up quickly, "What, what's up?" he said. The lion felt as if he was sinking through the ground, when he saw Zazu standing there.

"Master Hatari! This is intolerable!" the bird said with an indignant tone in his voice.

"Zazu!" Hatari exclaimed, very confused by the bird's presence. "What... what are you doing here?" the lion asked.

"That's the same thing I would like to know!" he replied, glancing at the hyenas with disgust. "I saw you stealing meat, so I followed you here."

"Zazu, the hyenas are my friends. I was just playing with them, you saw it, we were doing nothing wrong!" Hatari explained.

Zazu looked at him and said, "Your father will be very angry when he finds out that you have disobeyed him, and not only that, that you took meat that belonged to pride, to give it to the hyenas! What were you thinking?"

Hatari felt suddenly afraid, not only for his father's reaction, he was also afraid that Thembi would actively hunt his hyena friends down, just to _teach him a lesson_.

"Please, Zazu, don't tell him anything! Please!" he begged.

Zazu sighed. "Hatari, I can't hide something like this from him!"

Hatari growled. "I have been denied everything all this time, Zazu. No friends, no lessons, no nothing! What do you care if I hang out with a couple of hyenas every now and then? I am keeping my distance, right? Isn't that what Father wanted?"

Zazu looked at the cub thoughtfully. "You can hang out with whoever you want, I can't stop you from doing that. But stealing meat from the pride is very wrong, Hatari. The lionesses worked hard to hunt that down, and you are giving it away. Is it because it cost you no effort at all?

Hatari looked away, feeling ashamed.

"So next time you want to help your _friends_ here, how about you hunt something yourself?"

"Listen, Zazu," Hatari said, looking a bit sorry for what he had done. "Let's make a deal, I promise I won't take meat from the pride's catch again, and you won't tell my father that you saw me here today. What do you think?"

The hyenas glared and growled at Zazu, angry that he ruined their new source of food.

Zazu didn't pay attention to them. He pondered Hatari's suggestion for a moment and finally nodded. "All right, but if I see you stealing again, I will have to tell your father. Understood?"

"Yes, Zazu," Hatari replied.

Zazu sighed. "Of all the animals in the savannah, you had to go and befriend _hyenas_..." he muttered.

"Yeah, the wildebeest were not much of a conversational partner," Hatari replied sourly.

Zazu looked at him. "Come on, Hatari, let's go to the waterhole where you can take a bath, you do smell of hyena," he said with disgust.

"I want to stay a bit longer," Hatari said, "You go ahead, I won't be long."

Zazu hesitated for a moment. "Okay, Hatari, but please, do hurry up. It's getting late and we're far away from home..."

Zazu took off, still looking a bit worried.

Hatari approached the hyenas and muttered, "Don't worry, I'll think of something."

Shenzi whispered, "Next time that bird shows his snotty beak around here, he's toast, you tell him that."

"You know, Hatari," Banzai said, "I thought you'd go all 'boohoo I won't see the hyenas again, I promise', but I'm glad you sticked with us."

Hatari nodded. "Of course I'll stick with you, I would never betray you. Father can say whatever he wants, but you guys are the only thing that keeps me going, and I am not willing to give it up for him."

Shenzi looked at him in the eye, smirking a bit. "You know what would happen if you were to betray us, hmm?" She closed and opened her jaw quickly several times, making a clicking sound with her teeth.

Hatari nodded. "Of course, you are, after all, 'merciless killers', I remember now," he said smiling, as he recalled the tales he had heard about hyenas before.

"Don't underestimate us, we could kill a lion if we wanted to, you know!" Banzai said, half joking, half seriously.

"Have a go at Thembi then, what are you waiting for?" Hatari sniggered.

"Hah, no, I meant a scrawny lion, like you," Banzai teased.

"Anyway, I guess I should go now," Hatari said, glancing up at the sky to see if Zazu was still flying nearby, "I need to wash your smell off my pelt," he said, cuffing Banzai's face softly, claws retracted.

"We-he-hell..." Banzai said laughing, "You don't smell like a buncha flowers either! I might as well take a bath too, before the rest of the pack jumps at me!"

Hatari couldn't help but smile, and, as he walked away, he said, "Hey, say hello to Akili for me, will you?"

"Will do!" Shenzi said with uneasiness, but Hatari didn't seem to notice that. The lion walked away and disappeared in the distance.

Shenzi and her brothers watched him leave, and sighed almost in unison.

"It's been three days, Banzai... I am starting to get worried," Shenzi whispered, looking a lot less cheerful all of a sudden.

"I dunno, Shenzi... She did warn us she was going further into Thembi's territory, that's why she didn't want us following her. Don't you think it would just take her a bit longer to come back?" Banzai said.

Shenzi shrugged. "I can't shake this dream I had off my head, you know. Thembi telling her to stay out of his lands and how she'd pay for trespassing..."

"That's all it was, Shenzi, a dream. Let's not get all worked up yet, okay?", Banzai replied.

"I just miss her, Banzai," she whispered.

"I know, Ed and I miss her too..." he nuzzled his sister quickly, "but she'll turn up soon, you'll see..."

The hyenas returned to the elephant graveyard and waited in their den, hoping their mother would return soon.


	14. The Shell's Bad Omen

_Chapter 14_

**The Shell's Bad Omen**

Hatari and Zazu arrived at Pride Rock together, after the bird had discovered him feeding the hyenas. They were both very quiet and barely said anything to each other on the way back home.

Thembi was sitting next to Karanga, who had been trying to come up with names for her cubs in case they turned out to be females. He looked up when he heard Hatari approaching.

"Did you clean yourself at the water hole?" Thembi asked when he saw Hatari coming nearer.

Karanga looked up, puzzled, wondering why Thembi would send Hatari to the waterhole for a bath.

"Was he that dirty?" Karanga asked.

"You have no idea," replied Thembi, looking stern.

"I am sorry, Father. I fell asleep before I cleaned up myself," Hatari lied.

Zazu coughed. "Well, your majesty, I am going to get some rest, it has been a long day..." he said.

"All right, Zazu, sleep well and see you tomorrow," Thembi replied. He might have noticed that something was bothering Zazu, but the King had been looking at Karanga's tummy instead.

"Have you found a nice name yet?" he asked.

"Not yet, I have some ideas but I still cannot make up my mind..." she replied.

Hatari looked at the two of them. They could almost pass as a normal happy couple, sitting together like that and discussing their cub's names, he thought.

Karanga had to admit that she felt a slight change in Thembi, ever since their last talk at the three rocks. He still kept to himself, but was less prone to snap and snarl at her.

Hatari decided to leave them alone, and walked away, heading for his ledge. The southern ledge had become his home, as he didn't feel welcome or comfortable in the cave any more.

As he walked, he spotted Sarafina nearby.

The lioness was resting while Mahali played beside her. The little cub was pretending to be a great huntress, one that could bring down buffaloes all on her own. As she played, she noticed Hatari was approaching.

"Look, Finnie! Here comes Scar!" the young cub shouted and ran to Sarafina's side, seeking her protection.

"Don't call him that, Mahali," Sarafina reprimanded her.

"Why not? Everyone else calls him that..."

"It's not nice. How would you like it if we called you names?"

Hatari had heard them, and came closer. "It's not like 'Hatari' is a big improvement," he said softly, "She can call me Scar, if she wants."

Both lionesses remained silent and watched as Hatari disappeared as fast as he had come.

Mahali shuddered. "He scares me... King Thembi says I have to stay away from him," she whispered.

Sarafina nodded. "He told us the same thing when we were younger, too. But yet Hatari has never tried to harm us..." she replied, feeling a bit of pity towards Hatari.

Mahali shrugged and rubbed against Sarafina's body. "Anyway, I don't like him much. It's good I have you and mom to protect me!" she said.

Sarafina smiled and kissed the small lioness. "We all protect each other, always. That's one of the rules of the pride..."

Mahali looked at Sarafina. "You seem to know a lot about the pride... Will I learn sometime too?" she asked.

Sarafina chuckled. "Of course you will, Mahali. As you grow older you will understand better how things work around here. We are like a big team where we all work together, we share our food, shelter and protection."

Mahali nodded. "I understand..." she said looking at the ground thoughtfully for a while. Then she looked up again and asked, "Sarafina, since you are very smart... Will you be the next queen of the Pride Lands?"

Sarafina looked at Mahali with wide eyes. "Who, me?" She laughed a bit. "I don't think so... What brought this up, anyway?" she asked, curious.

"The other day I heard King Thembi talking to Mufasa, and they mentioned something about him having to choose a new Queen sometime... But I couldn't hear anything else."

Sarafina looked at the cub and smiled slightly. "I see... But no, Mahali. I am sure Sarabi will be the next Queen... She and Mufasa seem to like each other very much," Sarafina said. She looked away for a moment, thoughtfully.

Mahali tilted her head with curiosity, and, giggling for a moment, she whispered in Sarafina's ear, "Do you like him too, Finnie?"

"Mahali! That's none of your business!" Sarafina told the cub, who was staring at her intently with her big brown eyes.

Mahali smiled at Sarafina's reaction and said, "Oooo... You like him too!"

Sarafina rolled her eyes, while Mahali giggled helplessly.

After a few seconds, Sarafina replied, "Okay, I may like him a little bit, but that's all. It's not like I'm in love with him or anything. Now don't you go telling anyone about this, understood?"

Mahali grinned and nodded. "I'll keep my muzzle shut," she answered and lied down next to Sarafina.

The two lionesses were still chatting animatedly when Anasa showed up. She walked straight to Sarafina and her daughter.

"Thanks for watching over her, Finnie," Anasa said, nuzzling her pride-mate.

"Anytime!" Sarafina replied, "Mahali is a great cub and she behaves very well..."

Mahali smiled. "See, mom? Told you I wouldn't get into trouble!"

Anasa chuckled. "All right, honey, let's go back to the cave. Are you coming with us, Finnie?" Anasa said as she started walking back.

Sarafina shook her head. "You go ahead, I'll catch up with you in a bit..."

"All right," she replied and continued walking with her cub, leaving Sarafina alone for a while.

She couldn't help but smile when she recalled Mahali's questions about Mufasa. Was it that obvious that she had some feelings for him? She trusted that Mufasa had not noticed anything, but now she was not so sure.

"Sarafina, Queen of the Pride Lands... I like the sound of that..." she whispered with her eyes closed. She did like Mufasa, perhaps more than she should, because she knew very well that Sarabi was crazy about him, and Mufasa returned the feeling.

Sarafina knew that Mufasa liked her too, but the way his face lit up when Sarabi was around... That was enough for Sarafina to know that the next Queen of the Pride Lands would be Sarabi, and nobody else.

Sighing again, she stood up and started walking back to Pride Rock, thinking of Mufasa, and how handsome he would look as soon as his mane had grown completely.

* * *

A few days later, Rafiki was at the top of his tree, trying to comprehend some of the symbols the tortoise shell was showing him. Some of them were quite new, and he was having a little trouble in finding their meaning. He studied the figures carefully, one by one, until things started to become a little bit clearer. He seemed to be worried about what he was seeing, and, after a few minutes, he seemed to understand what the new symbols were about. They meant something really important.

"It all makes sense now... I must talk to Thembi at once!" he told himself and, gathering his staff, he dropped out of the tree.

Rafiki knew that something bad was going to happen... but he didn't know exactly what it was. Still, through one of the symbols he knew he had to warn Thembi, and this warning involved his second son.

Rafiki didn't like to talk much about what the future would bring, unless it was absolutely necessary. But the symbols in the shell had been very clear this time, he had to talk to the King.

The baboon headed to Pride Rock, walking slowly, thoughtfully, trying to think on how he would tell what he needed to say to Thembi.

In the meantime, Hatari was standing by the entrance of the cave, looking hesitant. He had met the hyenas a couple of times during the past few days, but they looked in bad shape. All three of them had lost weight, and Hatari had not been able to catch anything bigger than a gopher for them.

The lion eyed the lionesses' most recent kill, doubtfully.

"It wouldn't be stealing, if I donate my share of the food to them..."

He pondered about this and decided that he would skip dinner tonight, and give his share to the hyenas instead.

Hatari knew Zazu was away with Thembi and Mufasa, and the lionesses had gone to the waterhole for a drink. There was no one in sight, so very carefully, he sneaked towards the hunt, and snatched a bone with a lot of meat on it still.

He ran as fast as he could towards the northern border, holding the bone tight in his muzzle.

He arrived at the graveyard, and walked between the elephant bones and skulls, feeling no fear at all. He had learned to know the place and felt more at home.

Some older hyenas noticed the smell of an intruder and, guided by their sense of smell, they found Hatari in just a matter of minutes. They were licking their chops and whispering among themselves about how delicious that lion would be, but they looked disappointed after they found out it was only Hatari, Akili's and Shenzi's protégé. They walked away muttering things about befriending lions, but most of all, they were jealous of how Hatari always seemed to bring food to Shenzi and her siblings.

"Hey, Hatari! Cool to see you, pal!" Banzai greeted him, when Hatari approached their den.

"Well, here I am..." Hatari replied, dropping the bone he had been carrying at Shenzi's feet.

The three hyenas devoured it in no time.

Another group of hyenas that had been watching Hatari closely, were now very amazed to see that the lion and Shenzi were in speaking terms. They walked to the hyena youngsters and addressed Shenzi politely.

"Hey, Shenzi... you actually know Scar?" one of them asked.

"Scar?", sniggered Shenzi, "Sure I do! He's our pal. So if you thought you were going to have him as dinner, well, you're wrong. Hatari is allowed to roam around the graveyard. I thought everyone knew about this already!"

"Hatari?" asked the older hyena.

"I mean Scar. Er, his real name's Hatari." replied Shenzi.

The older hyenas, four in total, looked at Shenzi with curiosity. "How in the world did you manage to get a lion on our side?"

Shenzi shrugged. "He just showed up one day... And he kept on coming. He didn't rat us out to Thembi, and he's been bringing us food since... well, since _that day_."

Hatari looked at her, puzzled.

The four hyenas understood what she was talking about and nodded silently.

One of them approached Hatari.

The lion felt a little nervous, but he still tried to smile at the approaching hyena.

"If you're Shenzi's friend," the hyena said, "Then we're cool."

Hatari grinned. "That's good to know," he said, as more hyenas started gathering around Shenzi, trying to get a closer look at Hatari.

The older hyena nodded, but added in a gravely tone, "Just don't mess it up. If you become her enemy, we are your enemies also."

Hatari nodded, finding the hyena's threat out of place. Why in the world would he become Shenzi's enemy?

The four hyenas walked away after patting Shenzi's head and licking her.

"Yeah, yeah, move along now! Damn, I hate all this extra licking I'm getting lately..." she muttered.

Hatari looked at them as they disappeared between some old rib cages. He turned to Shenzi, feeling curious.

"They really hold your opinion in very high regard, don't they? Imagine how it will be when you become the leader of the pack? They'll do anything for you!"

Shenzi let out a fake chuckle and looked away.

Hatari went on, "I always found it weird, when Akili told me that you girls get to be the boss around here..."

"What's wrong with that?" Shenzi asked.

"Females can't be leaders, they're made for hunting! Banzai should be the one leading your pack!" he teased her.

Banzai let out a loud laugh and his chest swelled with pride. "You see, sis? Hatari surely knows what's good!"

Shenzi chuckled. "Yeah right, you ant brain."

Turning to Hatari, she said, "That whole thing about males ruling and females hunting is a rule in _your_ society, Hatari. Here, everyone hunts, regardless of their gender. But yeah... Us females run the joint. Right, Banzai?" she asked, sticking her tongue out at her brother.

Banzai nodded. "Unfortunately, yes..." he replied sighing melodramatically, "that's why the Pride Lands flourish, while our nice little graveyard is going to the dogs, I tell ya..."

Hatari chuckled. He found it most intriguing, the idea of a matriarchal society. He had to laugh when he pictured his own pride like that; the lionesses lying around while Thembi and Mufasa did all the hunting.

The lion kept asking questions about the hyenas and their traditions, which the two hyenas were happy to answer.

* * *

Far away from there, back at Pride Rock, Thembi had returned from a long discussion with the elephants, about the three cheetahs, who were now making mischief in their territory.

The King was feeling hungry, so he headed straight for the pride's hunt. He noticed that quite a chunk of meat had disappeared, and he could find a few traces of blood, as if someone had dragged the meat for a few meters. The trail disappeared a few meters ahead.

Thembi was having trouble following the scent. His sense of smell kept getting confused, since all the lionesses of the pride roam there often. There were too many scents at once.

The King walked to the lionesses, who were sitting nearby, enjoying the nice weather. They looked up when they saw Thembi approaching them, and frowned when they saw he looked angry.

"Somebody has taken some of the food we were saving for tonight!" he said sternly, "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on the food?"

They looked at each other nervously. Kuuliza stood up and faced Thembi.

"We're very sorry, your Highness... It must have happened when we went for a drink at the water hole..." Kuuliza explained.

The lion grunted and looked around, noticing Hatari was nowhere to be seen, while he usually lingered nearby when it was close to dinner time.

Thembi narrowed his eyes, wondering if his younger son had anything to do with the disappearance of the food.

The King called Zazu, who came flying in rather quickly.

"What can I do for you, Sire?" the bird asked, bowing.

"Someone stole food from our reserves. You didn't happen to see anything, did you?"

Zazu swallowed. "No, sire, I was with you most of the morning, and after that I went straight to Rafiki, like you asked me to..."

Thembi nodded. "Would you please look for Hatari, Zazu? I have a feeling this has to do with him..." the King replied seriously.

Thembi's assumption was that Hatari, not being content with being the last one to eat, had resorted to stealing food.

"Certainly, Sire. I'll look for him right away." Zazu said, knowing perfectly that it had been Hatari the one who took the food. He must be feeding the hyenas again. He slightly moved his head in disapproval and took off, heading without a second thought towards the northern border.

"Hatari is in trouble now... if he has gone back with the hyenas, I will be obliged to tell Thembi about it... he had promised not to steal again..." Zazu thought.

* * *

Thembi was in a foul mood, pacing inside the cave back and forth. He looked up when he heard Rafiki calling his name.

"Thembi, are you there?" Rafiki asked.

"Yes, Rafiki, come on in," Thembi replied looking towards the entrance of the cavern. He could only descry the silhouette of the baboon, but as he came closer, his features became visible. He looked very worried.

"I must speak to you, Thembi, it is very urgent." Rafiki said.

Thembi tilted his head with curiosity. "Urgent? Did something happen?"

Rafiki motioned Thembi to sit down, and said, "Thembi, you must promise me you will listen with an open mind..."

Thembi shrugged and sat down beside the baboon. "What is it, Rafiki? You're intriguing me..." he said, his curiosity taking over his bad mood for a moment.

Rafiki sighed and cleared his throat. "Thembi..." he said, trying to put his ideas in order, "The shell has revealed important things to me this morning..."

Thembi remained silent as he listened to Rafiki's words of wisdom.

"Thembi... I don't know how to put this so I will just say it bluntly... I am afraid that you have made a terrible mistake."

The king frowned. "Mistake? What do you mean?" the lion asked, suspecting already this would have something to do with Hatari.

"You have chosen the wrong path..." Rafiki said.

Thembi looked confused, not understanding what Rafiki was saying. "Enough with the riddles, just tell me what is going on, Rafiki."

Rafiki looked at the King and said, "I am talking about your attitude towards your younger son..."

"I knew it!" he snapped, "Not this discussion again, please!" Thembi said, becoming angry and standing up. He walked a few paces away.

"Thembi, you must listen to me," Rafiki pleaded, "just hear what I have to say..."

Thembi sighed. "So what is it this time?" he said, exasperated.

Rafiki swallowed hard. "Thembi, you must make peace with your son. You must accept the fact that he is innocent, and he didn't cause his mother's death. The shell confirmed it!" he said.

"Have you ever paused to think that that stupid shell of yours can be wrong? Or that you are somehow misreading the signs? How can you believe everything it says?" Thembi asked angrily.

"Have I ever been wrong, Thembi?" the baboon asked, looking into Thembi's eyes.

The lion looked away, knowing very well that Rafiki had made no mistakes in his predictions so far.

Rafiki paused for an instant, but went on, "Thembi, your son is suffering greatly... He has tried to please you, and the only thing he got in return was your hate and harshness..."

"That cub deserved every bit of it and more," Thembi growled. "Besides what happened with his mother, he is a disobedient lion who disregards our Pride's rules. I am quite sure he's stealing our food now, and he had contact with the hyenas and didn't notify me of their whereabouts..." he added bitterly.

Rafiki shook his head. "Thembi, you're not being reasonable here... The cub was lonely, he would have befriended ants if he had been given the chance. Can't you understand that?" he asked.

Thembi turned to Rafiki staring at him with wild eyes. "You know what happened last time our ancestors befriended hyenas and allowed them into the Pride Lands. You dare to ask me what's wrong with Hatari meeting one and not telling me about it?" he half-snarled.

Rafiki felt more disappointed by Thembi's attitude than intimidated, but he kept trying. "Well, that was a long time ago, perhaps its time to move on. Your younger son-"

"My one and only son is Mufasa!" Thembi interrupted, showing his teeth to Rafiki, "He really is a remarkable lion. Intelligent, responsible, he cares for the kingdom-"

Rafiki tilted his head. "And what makes you think Hatari doesn't have those qualities too? You don't know him well enough to pass judgement like that."

Thembi looked at Rafiki, who was as calm as if they had been discussing the weather, while he was feeling like a volcano about to erupt.

The king took deep breaths to try and calm himself.

"I think..." Rafiki continued, "I think that you should spend more time with Hatari, and learn to know him a little bit more. Teach him the ways of the kingdom, teach him about the balance in the Circle of Life...I am sure your poor son's head must be full of questions and doubts... I think he could benefit from a conversation with you every now and then, and so would you."

Thembi sighed, closing his eyes tightly, while listening to Rafiki's words.

The baboon continued, "I know you love Mufasa dearly, and that you have taught him many things. I am sure he will be a great king one day, but... Maybe Hatari has other qualities that Mufasa lacks."

"Like what? Mention one quality that Mufasa lacks, but the other one has!" Thembi replied bitterly.

"Hatari is open minded," Rafiki replied quickly and without hesitation, not caring if Thembi would get mad at what he was about to say. "The best example is that Hatari was able to see past all the hatred between species that has been passed on from generation to generation. That, my dear Thembi, is one of the greatest qualities, and, unfortunately, Mufasa, as well as you, lack it.

Thembi wanted to say something to the baboon, but the words were stuck in his throat. He just stared at the ground, thoughtfully.

Rafiki took a deep breath, letting it escape in a loud sigh. "Thembi... Hatari desperately needs your guidance... Please, for one time in your life, accept that you have made a mistake."

Thembi shook his head. He remained silent, closing his eyes tightly.

"Rafiki... I don't know if I can accept him..." he said at last, "I don't want to be near him, just the thought of it drives me insane..." he said, feeling deeply lost in confusion.

Rafiki smiled slightly. He patted the lion on the back and said, "Start easy. Say hello to him, or ask him how his day was, or invite him eat to along with the lionesses..."

Thembi cringed at the thought of being friendly to Hatari. "I won't be able to do that, Rafiki. My hate for that cub has grown bigger than the love I could had ever felt for him..."

"Did you ever feel any love for him, at all?" Rafiki asked.

Thembi shook his head. "Not a bit, Rafiki. He took away my most precious treasure, my Kitok..."

Rafiki twisted his mouth slightly and said, "Thembi, That was a long time ago... Your sons are even starting to grow a mane already, and you are still blinded by what happened in the past... I know that it is pointless to tell you that Hatari is not guilty for Kitok's death. Still, you could try to put that aside and, well, if I could call it like this, forgive your younger son."

Thembi sighed again, recalling Kitok's death and how much he had hated Hatari since then. It seemed impossible for him to put aside his current feelings for his younger son. It would be a very hard thing to do.

"Thembi," Rafiki said, "When your son comes back today, just ask him if he had a nice day... That would be good for a start, don't you think?"

Thembi swallowed. "I don't know... I am not sure about this..." the lion muttered, lying down on the ground thoughtfully.

Rafiki smiled and he continued talking with Thembi about what he could tell his son and tried to give him courage to leave his hate behind and move on.

* * *

Zazu arrived at the northern border and he could see the elephant graveyard nearby. It didn't take him long to find Hatari and the two hyenas chatting together, while a third hyena gnawed at a bone... the bone that was missing from the lions' hunt. Zazu frowned as he approached them and he landed beside Hatari.

"Zazu!" Hatari exclaimed surprised.

The bird looked at him, looking very serious.

"Your father sent me to find you. He could see that someone had stolen meat from the hunt. You had promised not to steal food and bring it to the hyenas any more!" Zazu said sounding a bit angry.

Shenzi and Banzai started circling Zazu menacingly.

"I didn't steal any meat Zazu," Hatari said, "I gave the hyenas my own share. I was planning to skip dinner tonight."

Zazu blinked for a moment. "Well, as noble as your intentions were, your father knows you took the food without permission, and wants to see you right away. He will question you about this, and I can't cover up for you any longer."

"Yes, you can. Just tell father you couldn't find me or the meat, and I'll think of something. Zazu, please, just do this one thing for me... Please?" Hatari begged.

Zazu sighed, clearly hesitating about what was the right thing to do.

Hatari felt tears coming to his eyes. "Zazu, I will do whatever you want, I'll get you some worms for breakfast, I'll do anything! Just don't tell father I took my share of the meat and brought it here..." he said as his voice started to break.

Zazu sighed. "The King hired me to keep him informed about everything that happened inside his kingdom... And I think this is very important, Hatari, you shouldn't be hanging around with hyenas to begin with..." he said.

"Please..." Hatari begged once more.

Zazu looked at him. The lion stared at him intently. "If your father finds out I have been lying to him because of you, he will fire me for sure..."

Hatari looked away. "Fine, go tell him then and keep your job. Make sure to write a nice little speech for my funeral, too."

Zazu sighed and finally gave in. "Fine, I won't tell Thembi I found you here, but I think you need some serious disciplining!" he added.

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, who had been listening to the conversation, approached the bird even more.

Growling at Zazu's face, Shenzi snarled, "We don't like you very much. Don't show up around here again, cause next time you might not live to go back and suck up to Thembi."

"Promise you won't tell anything!" Banzai said as he stepped on the bird's tail, to prevent him from flying away.

"Let me go! Don't touch me!" Zazu said indignantly.

"Promise you won't tell anything, or it's the birdie boiler for you!" Shenzi insisted.

"The birdie boiler?" Zazu asked.

The hyenas pointed to the geysers that would shoot out hot, scalding vapour every so often.

"Fine! I promise, I promise!" Zazu said fearfully.

"Now that's a good lad," Shenzi said, as she ruffled the feathers on his head with her paw, and pinched Zazu's cheek rather hard.

The hyenas released Zazu, who flew away from their reach, rubbing his cheek with his wing.

"Zazu, so you won't tell anything to Father?" Hatari asked, hopeful.

"I won't. But keep your filthy bodyguards away from me!"

Hatari nodded and looked grateful.

"Don't take too long to come home. Your father was so angry he might already be looking for you himself," the bird said, still looking upset.

Hatari nodded. "Thanks..."

Zazu took off and headed back to Pride Rock, hoping Thembi wouldn't find out that he was lying to cover for Hatari.

Shenzi sat down beside Hatari after the bird had left. "You really think he won't tell on you?" she asked.

Hatari thought for an instant, and then smiled, "He won't. He just wants to scare me I guess... Zazu was always friendly towards me, he talked to me once in a while... I don't think he would want Father to hurt me."

Banzai, still snarling, said, "Yeah, that's all nice and peachy, but what if he _does_ tell?"

Hatari sighed. "Who knows what Father would do then..." he said, feeling a bit afraid. But he trusted that Zazu wouldn't tell anything to Thembi.

Hatari lied down for a while, waiting for his nerves to calm down. He wanted to appear calm and nonchalant by the time he returned to Pride Rock.

The hyenas looked at him, and Shenzi whispered in Banzai's ear, "I am sure that bird will spill the beans... I don't trust him."

"Same here," Banzai replied, "and Hatari is going be in deep trouble..."

Ed laughed for several seconds.

"So you agree too, huh?" Banzai asked, turning to Ed. Ed simply looked back at him, his tongue lolling out.

The hyenas fell silent, thinking on what kind of punishment Thembi would give to Hatari.

* * *

"I am glad you have decided to talk to him for a bit," Rafiki said, patting Thembi's back and getting ready to go back to his tree.

"Don't expect a long conversation," Thembi said. He didn't smile, but he didn't show any signs of anger either.

Rafiki chuckled. "I know you will feel better after you talk to him. Hatari is a very special cub..." Rafiki said.

Thembi heard a noise outside the cave and turned to see what it was. He saw Zazu standing by the cavern's entrance.

"I have returned, Sire," he said, a little nervously.

Thembi turned to him. "Well? Did you find Hatari? Is he with you?"

Zazu swallowed. "No, sire, I couldn't find him..."

"Okay... Thanks for trying." Thembi walked away, looking annoyed. He stopped on his tracks all of a sudden, and his eyes opened wide. "Wait a minute..." he muttered.

The bird started shaking suddenly when he noticed that Thembi was staring at him intently. Zazu suddenly recalled that Shenzi and Banzai had both touched him at some point; the King must have picked up on their smell.

Zazu panicked as he thought, "The hyena smell! How didn't I think about that sooner?" He realized his lie was exposed now.

Thembi started snarling loudly. "Why do _you_ smell of hyena? Hatari was with the hyenas again, wasn't he?"

Rafiki looked at the two of them desperately, seeing all the progress that he had made tonight with Thembi was fading rather quickly.

Zazu began stuttering, "Well... I- I, sire-"

"Tell me, Zazu! Is he with the hyenas? Did they steal our food?" Thembi insisted.

Zazu felt suddenly afraid and nodded slowly, "H-Hatari donated his share to them, S-Sire..." he said, swallowing hard.

Thembi roared as loud as he had never done before. "I told him not to see them again! And he dared to disobey me, AGAIN!"

Rafiki approached Thembi and try to calm him. "Thembi, please calm down, things won't get any better if you yell..."

Thembi ignored Rafiki, his judgement clouded by his anger.

"Just wait until that bunch of bones comes here, you just wait...", he growled, kicking the ground angrily with one paw, and forgetting everything about the conversation he and Rafiki had just had a few minutes ago.

Even the lionesses, who were all lying outside, could hear Thembi was upset. They approached the cave, curious. Karanga was the only one who dared to walk in.

"What's going on here?", she said, looking at Rafiki and Thembi.

"It's your _beloved_ Hatari again! He has disobeyed for the last time, mark my words!" Thembi replied, snarling at her.

"Why? What happened?" she asked, but Thembi didn't reply. He was lost in his thoughts, snarling, and scratching one of his paws madly on the cave's floor.

Seeing that she wouldn't obtain any coherent reply from him at this point, Karanga turned to Rafiki for an explanation.

The two of them walked out of the cave together, as the baboon explained to Karanga what had just happened.

Karanga felt disappointed, not at the fact that Hatari had befriended and fed the hyenas, more at the fact that he never trusted her enough to share his huge secret with her, and that the lion had to carry this burden all by himself.

The Queen kept guard near Pride Rock, so that she could alert Hatari about Thembi's anger as soon as he returned home.


	15. Farewell To The Pride Lands

_Chapter 15_

**Farewell to the Pride Lands**

Rafiki returned to the pride's cave and tried to calm Thembi down. "But, Thembi, you just said that you were going to try and-"

"Forget what I said!" Thembi said snarling, "It's about time that Hatari learns who is in charge here."

Rafiki insisted, "But Thembi, the shell warned me that something terrible would happen if you didn't change the way you treat your younger son..."

"To hell with your tortoise shell!" he growled and turned his back on Rafiki, "That lion disobeyed me and I won't stand it any more!"

The baboon shook his head in disapproval. "Well, don't say I didn't try to warn you..." Rafiki said, and left the cave walking slowly and with a heavy heart.

"I don't know what was the bad thing the shell was talking about... Still, I hope Thembi realizes about his mistake before it's too late..." Rafiki thought sadly.

He sighed deeply. He looked up at the sky as he walked, and prayed to Haraka, Thembi's father. "Please, Haraka, help your son understand what he has to do..."

Zazu in the meantime felt very sad about this unexpected turn of events. Watching the King so upset reminded him of what Hatari said back at the graveyard, about writing a speech for the lion's funeral. The bird lowered his head in shame.

Thembi looked at him saying, "You have been an excellent helper, Zazu, but if you ever lie to me again..."

"I promise it won't happen again, Sire..." Zazu whispered.

Thembi nodded stiffly and muttered to himself... "If that lion thinks he will fool me, he is very mistaken..."

Zazu sighed and flew out of the cave. His heart stopped when he saw Hatari in the distance, walking back home.

"I am really sorry, Hatari..." Zazu thought.

At that very same moment, Thembi walked out of the cave, and saw the young lion too.

"There he is," he snarled.

Thembi roared loudly for the whole pride to hear, summoning them.

Hatari could hear his father's roar and he froze. Thembi didn't sound too pleased...

Wondering about that, he kept walking, fearfully.

He came across Mufasa, who was resting nearby.

"Whoa, did you hear dad's call?" Mufasa asked.

"Yes, I did," Hatari said, not paying much attention to his brother.

"I wonder what he wants, he didn't tell me there would be a pride meeting today..." Mufasa continued, walking next to Hatari.

Hatari kept walking in silence, looking now and then at the promontory, where Thembi was standing.

After a few more minutes, they arrived to Pride Rock. Mufasa went up to the promontory and nuzzled his father.

"What is it, dad? Is something wrong?"

Thembi looked at his son seriously and replied, "Mufasa, tell _him_ to come up here, now."

Mufasa was a little startled by his father's attitude, he hadn't seemed so angry that morning...

He climbed down the promontory again and walked to Hatari. "He wants to talk to you," Mufasa said.

Hatari gasped, swallowing hard. He looked around fearfully, noticing the lionesses were already aware that something was wrong.

Karanga looked at him sadly and approached him, "He knows, Hatari... He knows... Walk away now before it's too late, my son..." she said, with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, so Zazu did tell him after all..." Hatari thought, feeling extremely disappointed in the hornbill.

The lion shook his head. "I'll have to face him sooner or later, mom..." Hatari said, and nuzzled Karanga quickly.

Hatari climbed up the promontory nervously, and Karanga followed him silently. She sat down a few paces away, to keep an eye on Hatari in case he needed her assistance.

The young lion walked to Thembi's side, trying to hold his head up high. The king was looking at the horizon, but his expression made Hatari shudder.

"You wanted to see me, Father?" he said, looking at the ground.

Thembi's throat began to rumble with a deep growl.

Hatari's ears folded backwards, feeling scared.

Without looking at his son, Thembi said, "Zazu told me you were with the hyenas again, is that true?"

Hatari nodded slowly.

"And," Thembi continued, "He also told me you are taking the food that belongs to the pride and giving it to those animals... Is that true also?"

The lionesses gasped when they heard this.

Hatari turned to Zazu and wrinkled his nose at him. "Why, you miserable tipster..." he muttered.

Zazu looked at him worriedly, wishing he could explain the circumstances in which his father had found out about his visit to the elephant graveyard.

Thembi looked at Hatari. "Explain to me, what are your ties with the hyenas? They must mean something important to you, if you still went and fed them, even though I had expressly forbidden it."

Hatari cleared his throat. "We just get along well, that's all, Father. I thought there was lots of food here for us, so I decided to give them my share and skip dinner tonight."

"Your share?" Thembi interrupted, " First of all, _we_ don't share anything with the hyenas. Second, the meat you stole was way too much than what your own share would have been tonight, and you know it." he snarled.

Hatari sighed, he knew Thembi was right. He would have never been allowed to eat that whole leg all by himself.

"Father, these hyenas are my friends... They are not as nasty as you think..." he said, trying to convince his father that hyenas weren't all bad, but it only made Thembi angrier.

"Don't give me that!" Thembi shouted. "Hyenas hate lions and they want us dead!"

Hatari lost his temper and and looked at Thembi. "No, they don't hate all lions. Just the ones who chase them away and force them to die from hunger! Sounds familiar to you?"

Thembi narrowed his eyes.

Hatari didn't have time to react. Thembi cuffed him hard on the face.

Karanga gasped when she saw that. "Thembi, no! Please! Let him go!"

Thembi turned to her saying, "Stay out of this, Karanga, this is between this lion and me."

Karanga ignored Thembi and walked to Hatari. She nuzzled him as he stood up slowly and faced his father once again.

Thembi glared at him. "You are just like them... you are like a hyena..."

Hatari was hurt by this comment, because he knew very well what Thembi thought about hyenas. But there was no turning back any more, he would not let Thembi walk all over him again. He didn't care about being cuffed again, and all the resentment he had been keeping inside his heart, the sadness, the loneliness, it all came out in harsh words he never thought he would actually tell his father.

"If only I had been a hyena... I am ashamed to call myself a lion, being linked to someone like you," Hatari snarled back.

"You will respect me once and for all, Hatari, or else..." Thembi growled, baring his teeth.

"Respect has to be earned, Father. I can think several things that I feel towards you, and trust me, respect is way at the bottom of the list," Hatari hissed, "What are you going to do, kill me like you killed the father of my hyena friends? I think you won't, because without me you wouldn't have anyone to bully around..."

Karanga listened to Hatari's words, staring at him with wide eyes. She could see that the innocent cub who wanted more than anything to please his father had now disappeared. There was only a rebelling adolescent lion left, full of resentment and pain.

Thembi looked at him with wild eyes, ignoring Hatari's insults. "The father of your friends? What are you talking about?" he asked.

Hatari looked into his father's eyes and didn't look away. "You don't even remember? Attacking a family of five, a couple and three pups?"

Thembi thought for several seconds, and chuckled. He walked away a few steps and said, "Oh, yes, them. I did kill that hyena. I killed two of them, in fact..."

"Actually, you didn't. The pup survived." Hatari smirked.

Thembi looked at Hatari through the corner his the eyes, and whispered, "I wasn't talking about the pup."

Hatari looked at him, confused.

"The mother of your 'friends' is dead too. I found her trespassing again on my lands, and she had been already warned. Now she is buzzard food."

Hatari gasped and swallowed. It suddenly made sense to him why the three hyenas were losing weight; they still couldn't hunt well on their own, and their mother was not there to feed them. It also became painfully clear why the rest of the hyena clan was being so respectful to Shenzi. She was their leader now.

The young lion recalled how sweet Akili had been with him, and he felt his eyes mist up with tears. "She was their leader... She wanted to make peace with the lions! I cared for her!" he snarled.

Thembi chuckled again. "Maybe now you know how I felt when you were born and took away from me that what I cared for the most..." he said, and added, "Speaking of death," he stared at Hatari once more, "Before you dare to accuse me of murder, tell me, have you forgotten what you did to your mother?"

Hatari felt enraged. "It was an accident! I don't even remember what she looked like! I DID NOT KILL HER!" he shouted.

Thembi rolled his eyes. "You can deny it all you want, lion, but you will carry that guilt for the rest of your existence."

Hatari tried to hold back his tears. "And you still wonder what drove me to the hyenas... They see me for who I really am... You never did that. You painted this picture of myself in your head and never actually looked past it. You only had eyes for Mufasa!"

Thembi nodded. "So I did," he replied, matter-of-factly.

"But what about me? Didn't you ever notice that I was dying to receive the same love Mufasa did? I wanted to learn, I wanted to know the ways of the kingdom in case I get the chance to become a King someday!" Hatari said, raising his voice.

Thembi snorted slightly. "You will never be a king, you don't have the necessary qualities for being one..."

"Do you even know which qualities I possess?" Hatari asked.

Thembi frowned, recalling that Rafiki had said something similar to him while they were talking earlier that day.

"I don't need to, I know your defects and that's more than enough. Skinny, weak, coward... How can you expect to take care of a kingdom like that?" Thembi snarled.

Hatari pulled out his claws. "I am skinny and weak because of you! You always gave the best food to Mufasa... I was never allowed to eat much, and you never cared that I felt hungry about me! But no, you were always 'Mufasa this, Mufasa that'... " Hatari said, as he dried his tears with a paw.

Mufasa's eyes opened wide. He had never thought his brother felt that way. "Hatari, I think-"

"Stay out of this!" Hatari yelled at Mufasa, feeling suddenly angry towards his big brother.

Mufasa lowered his ears, looking sad.

Thembi looked at Hatari. "If you were as smart and responsible as Mufasa, then you could have had a chance at being a great King," Thembi paused for a second, "but you aren't even half the lion your brother is."

Mufasa felt terrible when he heard his brother being compared to him like that. He looked at the ground nervously, waiting for Hatari's reaction.

There was none. For several seconds, Hatari remained silent, watching his father intently. At last he said, "You're right, Father. I am not an idiot who accepts everything you say... That's why you like, him, right? Because he never questions you or your methods? In that case, I guess you're right indeed... I am not like him."

Mufasa snarled when he heard that. "Hatari, I've done nothing to you, please don't say-"

"I said shut up!" Hatari yelled at Mufasa, feeling extremely jealous of his brother, who had it all. "It is my turn to talk now!"

The King pulled out his claws when heard Hatari talk the way he did about his dear Mufasa. He approached Hatari menacingly and whispered in the young lion's ear, "Do you know why you won't become a King?"

"Why?" Hatari asked defiantly.

"Because you won't live to see another day..." he growled, and readied himself to do what he had desired for so long: get rid of the one who had taken Kitok away from him.

The young lion knew he had two choices now, either flee, or die. He made up his mind quickly.

Hatari whispered for only Thembi to hear, "Mark my words, Father. I will be King someday, just to spite you. I will go to sleep dreaming of the face you will make when you see me ruling the Pride Lands. I don't know when or how, but I'll take the throne. I will show you that I can be King, and you will regret everything you did to me."

Thembi roared in anger. "Are you threatening me and Mufasa?" he asked, his eyes on fire.

Hatari shook his head. "No, Father, it's not a threat, just a promise I intend to keep."

The young lion looked around at Pride Rock one last time. "Good bye, Thembi," he muttered, and and broke off into a run, climbing down the promontory, heading north.

Thembi didn't follow him. "Good. May you never come back, ever..." he growled, not taking Hatari's promise seriously. "If you thought living at Pride Rock had been hard, just wait until you try to survive outside the pride and hunt on your own..." he muttered to himself.

Karanga ran after Hatari but with her cubs still growing inside her, she just could not keep up with him. "Hatari, please, come back here! Please! Son!"

Hatari looked at her over his shoulder as he ran, but did not stop.

She felt her heart breaking as Hatari disappeared in the distance. "Hatari!" she called again, but got no reply.

Hatari listened to the lioness calling his name. He shook his head and kept running in the direction of the northern border.

"Karanga will have new cubs soon, and she will be so busy taking care of them that she won't have time to be sad about me," he thought.

He kept running non-stop, leaving behind one of the most painful stages of his life.

He had in his mind the promise he had just made to Thembi, and repeated to himself vindictively, "I will show him, I will become a King somehow..."

Hatari slowed down eventually, panting heavily.

He had done it at last. He had left the Pride Lands, like he had longed to do, and his father was no longer a symbol of authority. He felt free, knowing he could do whatever he pleased now, without having to explain himself to anybody.

Even then, the young lion could not stop himself from shedding a few tears. He loathed Thembi for everything he had done and said. He sobbed, letting all his sorrow escape from his hurt heart, leaving inside pain, bitterness and an urge to seek revenge and make his father miserable, as miserable as Hatari had always felt.

Karanga in the meantime had returned to Pride Rock, looking extremely worried.

"I must look for him and get him to come back... He doesn't know how to hunt, he's going to starve!" Karanga said desperately.

"He won't starve, he's already good at stealing other's catch," Thembi said without looking and Karanga.

"I have to find him!" she insisted and started walking away when she heard Thembi saying, "If I ever see him again, I will kill him. If you love him so much and you want him to have a chance, then let him go. You can go visit him if you dare, but don't bring him back here. Consider yourself warned, Karanga."

Karanga stopped. She looked at the horizon, looking at the dark spot that was the elephant graveyard. It was too far away for her to be able to see anything, but she still stared, hoping to catch a glimpse of her favourite cub. She knew Thembi really meant what he had said just now; Hatari had crossed the line. There was no turning back.

She was fully aware that male lions tend to leave the pride and form their own when they grow up, but Hatari was still too young, and she couldn't help but worry about him.

"I see you finally get my point," Thembi said to Karanga, seeing she didn't have anything to say, for a change.

"What's done is done..." Karanga muttered, knowing that it would be impossible to patch up the relationship between Thembi and Hatari after today.

Thembi eyed her for a moment. She was lying down, resting her chin on her paws, looking extremely sad.

"You knew he'd leave sooner or later, Karanga. You'd better focus on your own cubs now."

Karanga just closed her eyes tight and didn't look at Thembi. She didn't feel like talking to him at all.

Thembi took the hint, and left the Queen alone with her sorrow. He retreated into the cave.

"My Hatari, I will miss you so much..." Karanga thought, wishing she could see Hatari one more time to say a proper goodbye and wish him luck.

She recalled when he was just a cub, young and innocent, trying to make friends desperately... But with pain in her heart, she had also noticed a change in him. Specially the last couple of weeks, he had been very quiet and he seldom spoke to her any more. He had changed a lot since he got that scar. _Scar_... The name the animals have given him ever since that dreadful accident, and the name that everyone would remember.

Karanga continued crying silently, wishing for Hatari to find happiness somewhere else, whether it be with the hyenas, or with another pride. He certainly deserved better.

After a few minutes, the lioness fell asleep, but her dreams were troubled and she kept waking up constantly.

* * *

Hatari had reached the graveyard and looked for his friends. He met with several adult hyenas along the way, who greeted him in a peaceful manner, without threats or taunts.

"Shenzi!" Hatari called as he reached their den.

"Hatari? What are you doing here? What's wrong?" She asked, looking puzzled.

Looking at her sadly, he said, "I've finally left Pride Rock. I won't go back there until my father dies."

Hatari hesitated for a moment, and added, "Can I live here with you guys?"

Shenzi tilted her head a little. "Sure, pal... But let me warn you, life here is tough, it's not like what you were used to there on Pride Rock..."

"I know... I'll be fine," Hatari said, willing to give this a try.

Shenzi smiled and called Banzai.

"What is it?" the male hyena said, and when he noticed Hatari was there, his expression suddenly changed, and tried to tackle the lion playfully. "An intruder! Gotcha!"

Hatari was faster this time, and stepped aside quickly. Banzai crashed into Ed instead. The both laughed, while Shenzi announced to the pack that Hatari would be staying.

"Okay, listen up, all of ya! My friend here has left Pride Rock, and will now live with us!"

The older hyenas looked at each other doubtfully, and one of them approached Shenzi, "Are you sure about this? He is a lion, what if he betrays us?"

Shenzi looked at the older hyena and whispered, "He won't betray us. And he can help us hunt for food! And having a lion around can have its advantages, I am sure he can help us scare those damn wild dogs away, when they try to steal our food."

"Yeah, true..." the other hyena replied and laughed softly. "You might make a nice leader after all, you know..." she said, kissed Shenzi's cheek respectfully and walked away.

Shenzi grunted and rubbed her cheek with her paw after the hyena left.

Shenzi asked for silence. When most of the hyenas had hushed, she cleared her throat and started speaking. "Hatari here will be-"

She was interrupted by the comments of the hyenas.

"Hatari? Wow! What a dumb name, who would call their son that!" one male laughed.

"Yeah, why 'Hatari', anyway?" another hyena asked.

The rest of the clan started making comments about the lion's name and soon nobody could understand what each other was saying.

"Shut it!" Shenzi shouted.

All hyenas, except one, hushed almost immediately, "...ain't looking all that dangerous, if you ask me-" was the last comment of one hyena.

Then there was silence.

Hatari sighed and spoke, "I hate my name, it is stupid indeed. I guess you can call me Scar, everyone else does..."

The hyenas looked at each other and then stared at Hatari's left eye.

One of them smiled and whispered, "Yeah! Scar suits him a lot better."

Soon the hyenas started speaking again and Shenzi, turning to Hatari, said, "Hey, are you sure you prefer being called Scar than Hatari? I can tell them to cut it out..."

Hatari sighed. "Father had the idea that I was dangerous, and so he named me Hatari. Knowing the reason why he called me that way, I can honestly say I very much prefer being called Scar."

The female nodded and said, "Okay, then Scar you will be. Welcome to the clan, Scar!"

The lion smiled. "Thanks, Shenzi." He looked at her and said sadly, "I am very sorry about what happened to your mother."

She looked at Hatari with wide eyes. "Do you actually know what happened to her?"

"Father happened to her," he said bitterly, "he told me earlier."

Shenzi nodded and looked away. "We were not sure it had been Thembi, by the time the pack found her remains, it was hard to tell exactly what had happened."

"I feel so bad... I wish I could do something to make up for everything he did..." Hatari said, feeling guilty just for being related to Thembi, even if he had had nothing to do with Akili's death.

Shenzi smiled broadly and let out a loud laugh. "You can start by helping us hunt for something to eat!" she said, drooling just at the thought of food.

The lion smirked. "I will have to poach in the lions' territory, I guess..." he said with irony.

"Yeah! Just be careful with them lions! They can get nasty!" Banzai said with a grin.

"They sure can..." Hatari muttered, his smile fading quickly.

"Well, Hatari, we're hungry, so let's go" Shenzi said.

He chuckled. "I am not Hatari any more, remember?"

Shenzi giggled. "Oh yeah, I forgot..."

As they walked together looking for food, Hatari thought about how things were going to change from this day on...

He knew he would have to hunt for him and for the hyenas, and that he still required lots of skill for that. But he was optimistic, and he was sure he would survive to make his father's life miserable, even if Thembi had already turned into a star.

The love he ever felt for Thembi, and the desire to be accepted by him, had now completely faded. Karanga had been right; there was nothing left of that cub that only wished to please his father. There was nothing left of Hatari. The only thing left was Scar, a completely new lion, with new goals and desires, and who would do everything in his reach to keep the promise he had made to his father before leaving Pride Rock.

Hatari shook his head quickly for a moment and cleared his mind of all his thoughts, concentrating for the moment on the task at hand: finding food.

In this way, a new stage of his life began; Hatari was dead, and Scar was born.


	16. The Rogue Lion

_Chapter 16_

**The Rogue Lion**

Karanga finally went in labour after a few stressful weeks. Luckily for her and her cubs, there were no complications during birth.

Two beautiful females were born, strong and healthy. Karanga spent a few weeks nursing the cubs away from Pride Rock, and had just returned to show off her little girls to the pride.

Thembi was looking at them, satisfied. He was also pleased that they had turned out to be females, then there would be less rivalry for Mufasa in the future. He was glad that everything had turned out the way he wanted to.

Karanga lay down to feed the babies, while the rest of the lionesses watched and admired the cubs.

"Oh, look at them... They look just like you when you were born, Karanga!" Kuuliza exclaimed.

Thembi, who was sitting next to the Queen, couldn't help but smile slightly. "So, how are you going to name them?" he asked.

"She will be Tahlili," she said, pointing with a paw at the first born, "and the second one will be Shada."

"Oh, very nice names!" Huria said, looking at the tiny lionesses lovingly.

Sarabi and Sarafina were happy with the arrival of the new cubs and they both wished they could have their own soon.

"Can I kiss them?" Sarabi asked.

"Of course, go ahead," the Queen replied.

Sarabi lowered her head until she touched the babies with her nose and kissed them softly. "They are so tiny and cute!" she said with glee.

"It's hard to believe that we all start this way, hmm?" Sita added.

The lionesses nodded in reply.

Karanga wished she could have shared this moment with her son too. "I bet he would have liked to see my cubs... I wonder if he's still alive..." she thought, sadly.

She had attempted to visit him at the graveyard once, but the hyenas had chased her off and threatened to kill her if she came close again, so she didn't pursue that further.

The pride continued admiring the cute features of the baby lionesses, and nobody else seemed to remember Hatari, or nowadays, Scar, at all. They all felt happier, even Thembi.

Ever since Scar left, Thembi began behaving differently towards the pride in general, but specially towards Karanga. Without Scar around, they didn't have much to fight about. However, Karanga wouldn't forgive the King for what he made the cub go through. Even though Thembi was clearly showing more interest in her lately, she was now the one who kept more to herself.

Unfortunately, everyone except Karanga seemed to agree that Scar's departure had been quite beneficial to the pride, and Pride Rock seemed like a happier place to live in, now that Thembi was in a better mood.

* * *

One afternoon, Mufasa and Sarabi went for a walk together. The sun was setting, painting the sky in tones of orange, red and purple.

As the two lions walked, they silently enjoyed the view. They didn't have to talk, both of them knew what the other was feeling.

Sarabi eyed Mufasa every now and then, admiring how handsome he had turned out to be. His golden mane was thick and full; she found it hard to believe that this was the same small lion that used to chase her around the water hole while playing tag.

However, Sarabi could sense Mufasa was nervous tonight. She wasn't sure why, but there were rumours saying that he would propose to her soon. She hoped tonight would be the night.

They finally came to a halt, and they both sat down on the soft grass.

Mufasa cleared his throat. "Sarabi?" he said with uneasiness.

"Yes?" she said, looking at Mufasa, enjoying the moment.

"There's... There's something I would like to tell you... But I don't know how to start..." he said, feeling very nervous and excited at the same time.

Sarabi smiled charmingly. She looked into Mufasa's eyes, trying to give him courage. "Just tell me, Mufasa, whatever you have to say."

He looked back at her and whispered the words "I love you," without looking away.

Sarabi felt as if she were melting. Trying to remain calm, she whispered back, "I love you too, my Mufasa, more than anything in this world."

He smiled and let a deep sigh of relief escape. "Sarabi, will you be my Queen?" he asked, still looking at her.

Sarabi started crying, tears of joy and happiness were streaming from her eyes. "Of course I will! You have made me the happiest lioness in the Savannah!" she said, smiling broadly.

Mufasa looked at the horizon for an instant, and then looked at Sarabi again. There she was, sitting still, smiling, beautiful. He hesitated for an instant, and then, he nuzzled her. It was not a common nuzzle, but a nuzzle followed by the words: "Sarabi, I promise I will love you always, I will make you happy, I will protect you and I will care for you." Mufasa said.

Sarabi repeated the same words back at him, sealing their engagement.

Mufasa smiled and licked Sarabi on the cheek. She licked him back.

"So it is now official..." Mufasa said chuckling, trying to relax a little. It had been a difficult and tense moment for him.

Sarabi sighed. "How I wished for this day to come, Mufasa!" she told him.

Mufasa smiled broadly. "My Sarabi... I wished for it too. I am really glad that you return my feelings for you..."

She looked at him lovingly and felt like the luckiest lioness around, having such a lion as a fiancé. Not only was he extremely good looking, but his heart was kind, noble, and he truly cared for the kingdom... What more could Sarabi ask for?

When they got back to Pride Rock, they went straight to Thembi and gave him the good news.

"Father, we have something to tell you," Mufasa said nuzzling his father.

Thembi looked at them. "Well, tell me, son, what is going on?"

Mufasa nuzzled Sarabi quickly and said proudly, "Father, Sarabi has accepted to be my Queen."

Thembi beamed proudly at Mufasa. "My dear son! Congratulations! Sarabi, congratulations too!" Thembi said and he nuzzled both lion and lioness gently.

"Karanga, you must listen to this! My lionesses, please pay attention!" Thembi shouted.

The lionesses pricked up their ears as they listened to Thembi.

Karanga was inside the cave, feeding her cubs, so she listened to what Thembi had to say from the entrance of the cavern.

"My son has asked Sarabi to be the Queen! She has accepted!" Thembi announced, looking proud.

The rest of the pride roared in unison to demonstrate how happy they were too.

Sarafina sighed and whispered in Mahali's ear, "You see? I told you he would choose Sarabi as his Queen..."

Mahali nodded. "Are you okay? I mean, you liked him..."

Sarafina smiled at her. "Of course I am okay, little girl... I had always known this day would come sooner or later..."

She turned away so Mahali would not notice the tears that threatened to burst out at any minute.

"Anyway, I am going for a drink!" Sarafina suddenly said, and left Pride Rock as quickly as she could.

Nobody, except Mahali and Sarabi, noticed that Sarafina was about to cry, so the rest of the pride continued celebrating with cheerful roars and purrs. Sarabi decided she would have a private talk with her sister later on.

When Sarafina got to the water hole, she drank a little to quench her thirst, and then sat down. She was not crying any more, she had calmed down as she ran. She was thinking about how things would change, now that Sarabi was Mufasa's official girlfriend.

"They'll probably spend even more time together... I kinda miss those days where the three of us would play all day...", she told herself, staring into the water thoughtfully.

She was glad about the fact that she would still have a chance to have her own cubs eventually. That made her very happy, as she enjoyed baby-sitting for the other lionesses very much, and she would love more than anything to have her own cub or cubs to care for.

Sarafina looked up suddenly, when she heard a noise coming from some bushes at her left. She pricked her ears and tried to catch any scent that would give away whatever was hiding nearby.

The bushes started rustling and out of them came a lonesome adult lion, a stranger that froze Sarafina's blood. He looked young and strong, although not as imposing as Thembi. Sarafina felt uncomfortable, since he didn't take his eyes away from her.

"Who-who are you? You shouldn't be here, this is King Thembi's territory!" she said, trying not to sound scared.

The lion half-smiled. "I'm Tawegboto. It's a pleasure to meet you, cutie," he replied politely, walking towards Sarafina, his amber-coloured mane shifting slightly with the gentle breeze. She backed away a few steps.

"My name's Sarafina," she said, not liking the sound of 'cutie' at all. "Well, Tawegboto, uh... nice to meet you too, but you really must go now... The King does not tolerate strangers in his lands," she said distrustfully.

"I'm just passing by," he said, "I've been walking all day long already. I am sure you won't mind much if I just rest here for a bit, and then continue my journey in the morning?"

Sarafina looked at him, "That's not for me to decide. If you want to stay here, just consider yourself warned. King Thembi likes to come here for a midnight drink." she lied, hoping to scare him away.

She could see how Tawegboto was sniffing the air, taking in her own scent. After a few seconds, the lion smiled. "I like to take risks, so I think I'll just stay here for now and see what happens."

"Fine, as you wish. Good night," she said and turned around, heading back to Pride Rock.

"Are you sure you have to go? I haven't talked to anyone in days... We could have some fun together," he said.

Sarafina shook her head. "I really must go, the King is waiting for me," she said, and kept on walking.

Tawegboto walked a few paces faster and stood in front of her, blocking her way.

"Come on, I just want a little bit of company... I can tell you about my travels. I have been all over the place, you know, looking for a new home..." he said pitifully, but his voice was not convincing at all.

The hair on Sarafina's back stood on end.

He went on, "If you stay, we could do nice things... We could look at the stars... We could do whatever you want..." he said seductively.

Sarafina looked at him closely. Tawegboto was not bad looking at all, but Sarafina didn't like his advances.

"Stop blocking my way. I'm leaving," she said, trying to walk away again, but Tawegboto circled her.

"I bet you just don't want me to think you are the easy type... Don't worry, I won't think so. C'mon, stay for a bit."

Sarafina growled at him, baring her teeth. "I don't know what you are planning, but if you don't let me go right now I will roar so loud that Thembi will be here within seconds. He won't be happy to see you here."

Tawegboto chuckled. "I think you will find out soon enough what my plan is, my dear. I'll be seeing you again, I'm sure. Good bye..." he said, and turned around, disappearing once again between the bushes.

Sarafina hurried all the way back home, where the pride was resting peacefully. Mufasa and Sarabi were chatting happily on Pride Rock's promontory.

Kuuliza saw Sarafina running back home. "Something wrong, Finnie? You look scared..."

"Kuuliza, there is another lion here in the Pride Lands!" Sarafina said between pants, feeling a bit out of breath.

The lionesses gasped. "We must tell Thembi at once!" Anasa said.

"Your Majesty, come quickly!" Huria called.

Thembi walked out of the cave. "What is it?" he asked, staring at the worried faces of the lionesses.

"There is an intruder in the Pride Lands!" Sita called.

"What? An intruder?" Thembi said, running hastily to the lionesses that were gathered around Sarafina.

Sarafina nodded. "He said his name was Tawegboto," she said.

Thembi tilted his head. "Tawegboto... can't say I've heard that name before, he must have come from afar..."

Sarafina nodded again. "That's what he said, he sounded like a nomad to me."

Kuuliza looked at the startled lioness. "What else did he say, honey?" she asked.

"At first he said he was just passing by and would leave in the morning. But then he mentioned he was looking for a new home and started asking me to stay with him and keep him company. I didn't trust that, he kept getting too close..."

Thembi growled deeply.

"I don't think he will leave as fast as he said at first," she went on, "he told me I would soon find out what his plans were and that we'd meet again. It sounded a bit like a threat to me."

Thembi snarled as he heard this. "It's obvious, isn't it? He will make an attempt to recruit some lionesses, or even take over the pride."

The lionesses looked at each other.

"He's left the water hole now, I don't know where he went," Sarafina said.

Thembi nodded. "He can't be too far, I suppose. Listen well, everyone. I don't want any lionesses going out on their own. If you need a drink, you do it in pairs, understood? Stick together as much as you can," he warned them.

The lionesses acknowledged the King's orders.

"I think we might have a confrontation soon, so everyone, keep their eyes open!" he added, and returned to the cave and to give the bad news to Karanga.

Kuuliza in the meantime proceeded to explain to the younger lionesses the dangers of having a nomad lion roaming around. They all agreed that they would be extra careful and not venture away on their own until the stranger had been taken care of.

Sarafina was still a bit shaken after her first encounter with a strange lion. Only now she realized she had been in great danger, and was thankful that she was allowed to return to the safety of her pride.

She was still thinking about this when Sarabi approached her silently.

"Hey, Finnie... You got a minute?" Sarabi asked.

Sarafina looked at her and nodded. They headed together to the southern ledge, which had remained empty ever since Scar had left Pride Rock.

They sat down, facing each other.

"What's on your mind, Sarabi?" Sarafina asked.

Sarabi looked at her. "It's Mufasa," she replied, "I saw your reaction after we announced our engagement."

"Oh..." Sarafina exclaimed, "I'm very sorry you had to see that, I didn't mean to upset you."

Sarabi nuzzled her sister lovingly. "I am not upset, silly... I am worried... I never knew you felt love for him too."

Sarafina nodded quietly. "I kept it to myself. I mean, it was obvious that you and him were meant for each other. What good would it have done to talk about my feelings when I already knew he would not return them? I'd just make things awkward for you."

Sarabi looked at her sadly, wishing there was something she could do to make her sister happy again.

Sarafina went quiet for a moment, and then whispered, "I just miss him, you know? We hardly spend any time together these days..."

Sarabi looked away for a moment, she knew that it was true. Mufasa had been dedicating most of his time to his lessons with his father, and to herself. There was no time for games like they used to when they were cubs.

"I could ask Mufasa to make time for you too..."

"Please, don't," Sarafina interrupted, "That's not what I mean, Sarabi. I know things are different now, we've all grown up and we can't stay cubs forever. I just need to come to terms with my place in the pride, and move on."

Sarabi looked down, staring at her paws thoughtfully.

Sarafina could sense Sarabi's distress, so she nuzzled her reassuringly. "Don't get me wrong, I am very happy for you and I wish you two all the best, Sarabi... I really do. Don't you worry about me! You know I'll be fine, as long as I can get some cubs in the future." She smiled sincerely.

Sarabi smiled back and groomed her younger sister, while Sarafina closed her eyes and enjoyed the attention.

"Say... What if that nomad lion asks you to have cubs with him, hmm?" Sarabi teased.

Sarafina snorted. "Please, I'm not _that_ desperate yet!"

"Well, he seemed to like you!" Sarabi giggled.

"It's not funny, Sarabi, he was really scary..." Sarafina said, trying to suppress a shudder.

Sarabi grinned. "I don't think we have anything to fear. I'm quite sure Thembi will send him back to where he came from in no time."

Sarafina nodded. "I hope so..."

The two lionesses kept grooming each other for a while, discussing love, lions, cubs and recalling the good times when they spent the whole day chasing after each other.

* * *

At the elephant graveyard, the situation was not looking too bright. The hyenas had not been joking when they warned Scar that life here would be nothing compared to the relatively pampered life he had lived at Pride Rock.

Scar had lost weight, and he hadn't had a decent meal in weeks.

His relationship with the hyenas had also taken a turn for the worse. It was not the same just to spend a few hours together, playing by the water hole, than having to spend all day with them and live by their rules. Scar had become bitter and quiet ever since he left Pride Rock, and the constant noisy laughter around him had started to get on his nerves.

The hyenas were not too charmed about him, either. Scar had turned out to be a lousy hunter, never having had any real hunting lessons before, and they disliked the fact that his attitude had changed a lot. He was no longer the friendly lion who would seek their company and laugh at their jokes, he just looked more and more irritated at them with every day that went by.

One morning, the hyenas were alone, while Scar was away trying to find something to eat. They were discussing him, in less friendly terms than they used to when he first moved in.

"Yeah, but he can't hunt at all, and then he is always complaining that _we_ are the bad hunters! Dumb lion..." Banzai said.

Shenzi rolled her eyes. "I know, he ain't a little ray of sunshine lately. He acts and talks like he knows better than us. It's obvious, Banzai, he doesn't feel happy here. He doesn't belong here... I see him staring at that rock longingly every day..." Shenzi said.

Banzai remained silent.

Shenzi sighed. "I have to give him some credit, though. I didn't think he'd last long here, I thought he'd crawl back to his pride and ask for forgiveness after seeing how hard it is to survive around here..."

The hyenas hushed immediately when they saw Scar returning, empty-handed, from his hunt attempt. He was talking to another hyena, not far from there. Shenzi and Banzai tried to listen to their conversation.

"Scar, I tell you, there is another lion on the Pride Lands... Rumours have been spreading... It seems he wants to take over the pride, or at least steal some lionesses..." the hyena said.

Shenzi and Banzai weren't able to hear what Scar replied. The hyena and Scar both went separate ways after that.

Banzai watched him leave. "I wonder if Scar really meant what he said a few days ago..." Banzai said after a few seconds.

"Huh? What did he say?" Shenzi asked, trying to remember what was Banzai talking about.

"Well, you know, about us having no brain and such... I think he kinda feels superior to us, and he wasn't that way when he was a cub... That was the coolest part of him..." Banzai said.

Shenzi nodded. "Yeah, you gotta thank Thembi for that, I guess. Since he came here, Scar's been obsessed with becoming King somehow, while he never really cared much for that before. Maybe, to all Kings, everyone else is an idiot or a slave. Cheerful bunch, eh? The Royal family...

Banzai laughed a bit. "He just shouldn't be such a sourpuss all the time. And, he should be more thankful to us! I still think he doesn't realize that all it would take for him to turn into hyena chow is just you saying the words."

Shenzi pondered for a moment and shook her head, "Mom said once that he'd come in handy in the future and that he'd repay us the favour somehow, so I'm kinda curious to see how that will turn out."

"Yeah, but mom wanted to make peace with them. Us? Not so much," Banzai said, feeling resentful towards lions in general.

"All I'm saying is, I am not giving up on Scar just yet. Yes, he's a drag, and he's got no sense of humour lately, but who knows? Maybe once Thembi kicks the bucket, Scar'll be able to go back and feed us again like he used to in the past."

Banzai liked the sound of that.

"Anyway..." she added, "seeing as he didn't bring back any food, I guess it's our turn to go and try to find something..."

Banzai nodded and stood up, stretching his legs. "I heard there were a couple of sick gazelles in their bunch, maybe we can get lucky..."

Shenzi agreed, and they headed together with a few other hyenas in the direction where the gazelles were grazing. Ed stayed behind, since his erratic laughter had foiled more than one hunt attempt already, and he had sent animals stampeding away in panic instead.

Meanwhile, Scar was pacing back and forth. He had felt in a bad mood after losing his prey earlier today, but the news about a nomad lion in the Pride lands had distracted him. Scar was worried; he didn't care much for what could happen to Thembi or to Mufasa, but his biggest worry was Karanga's cubs. Even little Mahali could be in danger, if a new male were to take over the pride.

He sighed and lay down on the hard, rock floor. He hadn't forgotten the promise he had made to Thembi when he left Pride Rock, and he was still determined to keep his word. He hated to think that some other lion would just walk in and take the throne, shattering his ambitions of revenge. He decided to keep an eye on the stranger himself, and if he really becomes a threat, perhaps he could persuade the hyenas to help him out in driving him away. He knew they wouldn't say no to fresh lion meat...

Scar had made several plans on how he could take over the throne, and as he thought more and more, he realized that there were only two feasible options, he had to either drive Thembi and Mufasa away, or both lions had to die somehow.

He still was unsure about how a thin and weak lion like him could drive two strong lions away. He would be dead in no time, if he were to challenge them.

The death of the King and Prince seemed like a better option, one that would guarantee his own well-being and survival, however both lions were in good health, and since they didn't hunt, the chances of an accident happening to them were very small.

The rogue lion might be able to help a bit with that, Scar thought. He knew Thembi would seek confrontation with him, and it didn't really matter to Scar who resulted victorious from the battle. Scar could then take the winner down with the help of a couple of hyenas. After all, the winning lion is bound to be hurt and tired after the fight, and he should be an easier prey at that point.

Scar smiled to himself; he liked the sound of this plan. If all worked well, it would mean one less lion to drive away, and one step closer to getting the throne.

Scar sighed deeply as his stomach growled from hunger. Living in the elephant graveyard was harder than he could have ever imagined. This made him more resentful towards Mufasa, who was probably now eating along with Thembi and sharing his life with a lioness as mate. He couldn't get over the idea of a happy Mufasa enjoying the riches that the Pride Lands had to offer, while all this time Scar had lived like a hyena, poaching in the lands that also belonged to him. On top of that, Scar feared that he might come face to face with Thembi again by accident. Scar was sure that Thembi would kill him, just like he would do with the hyenas, for he was now one of them.

"There has to be a way out of this mess, I know it..." he whispered to himself, closing his eyes for a moment. The lion fell asleep for a short while but was awaken by his hunger. For now, he had no choice but to keep on searching for something to eat.


	17. A Meeting with the Kings of the Past

_Chapter 17_

**A Meeting with the Kings of the Past**

Thembi was very upset because Tawegboto had been causing trouble in his lands for the past few weeks, scaring the food away and harassing his lionesses. The rogue lion ignored all the warnings, and kept trespassing the borders clearly marked by Thembi, so the King finally decided he would confront Tawegboto once and for all. The nomad showed no signs of going away, so Thembi would fight for what belonged to him.

The King approached his pride, and prepared to give a speech.

"My lionesses, please pay attention," he said, as he waited for the lionesses to go quiet.

"I will go and face Tawegboto today. I have been looking at him and he seems strong and healthy, for a nomad. I know I must not underestimate his strength. But you all agree that he's crossed the line and I have to put a stop to this now."

The lionesses listened as they looked at their King intently and nodded silently.

Mufasa walked to Thembi's side, and urged him, "Father, please, let me help you, two lions have a better chance than one..." Mufasa said, willing to help his father in driving the stranger away.

"No, my son. This is between Tawegboto and me, and I want you back here to protect the cubs and defend our home, in case I were to fail," Thembi replied as he nuzzled his son lovingly.

After a few seconds, the King continued, "I hope I will return victorious from this."

"You will, father!" Mufasa interrupted, but Thembi shook his head in disapproval.

"There is always a risk, my son. You have to be aware of that," Thembi replied. He looked around once more and said, "I just wanted to tell you all, my lionesses and my son, that if I don't come back, Mufasa will ascend to the throne, and I trust that he will make an excellent king, one you will respect and adore."

Karanga swallowed with difficulty and muttered, "Stop talking like you're not coming back. Now go drive that lion away, and make sure you're back home in time for dinner, okay?"

Thembi gave her a small smile. "Will do, Karanga," he said. He nuzzled the lionesses quickly and started walking away, heading towards where Tawegboto had been seen for the last time.

The lionesses roared, wishing Thembi good luck. Karanga watched him leave with tears building up in her eyes.

Thembi roared back at them and continued walking in complete silence.

Tawegboto was resting under the shade of a tree. Beside him were the rests of his most recent kill, an impala. The lion was sleeping soundly until he was awaken by the sound of a twig snapping nearby. He looked around but couldn't see anything near. However, he did hear some footsteps approaching from the opposite side.

Tawegboto raised to his feet quickly and looked in every direction, noticing a golden, sturdy shape approaching him. He narrowed his eyes when he realized it was Thembi.

Tawegboto chuckled slightly. "Well, look who finally has decided to show up for some action..." he told himself, sounding confident. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for; he was sure he would be ruling Pride Lands in no time.

Thembi finally reached the stranger and came face to face with Tawegboto. Both lions stared at each other, baring their teeth.

Thembi growled slightly as he started to speak. "I warned you, Tawegboto, to stop hunting in my lands and bothering my lionesses!"

Tawegboto stood straight, head held up high. "Yes, you did, but I guess I just didn't listen, hmm? I'm just not used to following rules," he chuckled. "So what brings you here today?" he asked defiantly.

At the same time, the rogue lion scanned the perimeter, making sure that Thembi had come on his own and that he had not prepared an ambush of some sort. Tawegboto had this strange feeling that he was being watched, but he couldn't identify anyone else on the scene.

"I command you to leave my territory this very moment," Thembi demanded.

Tawegboto didn't move a single muscle and said, "No, I decided I like this place, so I won't leave. I think it's time for a battle, you and I. I want to fight you for this land."

"If fighting is what you want, then that's what you'll get!" Thembi snarled as he pulled out his claws menacingly.

Tawegboto did the same. He circled Thembi, taunting him. "Are you sure you don't prefer to give up? I could even spare your life... A nomad's life is not that bad, you know..."

"I'm sorry, did you say you came here to talk, or to fight?" Thembi shouted, and pounced on Tawegboto.

The rogue lion gave a couple of steps back and raised his forepaws to block Thembi's attack. Both lions were slashing and biting each other fiercely, but none of them seemed to be giving up. Their roars could be heard from miles away, even the lionesses back at Pride Rock could hear the battle going on.

Tawegboto had turned out to be stronger than what Thembi had imagined, and the king of the Pride Lands was getting tired with each second that passed. However, while Tawegboto had more stamina, his attacks were rather slow, giving Thembi time to escape the powerful blows of his adversary.

And there it was again, the sound of a twig snapping nearby. Both lions instinctively turned to look quickly in the direction of the sound, but Tawegboto saw his chance, and with unexpected speed he lashed at Thembi's throat with all his strength. Thembi was so surprised that he couldn't even say a word. Blood started pouring quickly from the wound, down his chest and on to the ground.

Tawegboto laughed out loud, feeling victorious. "Now it's just a matter of time, before you join the great Kings of the past... Do you think you'll last long enough to see me taking over your throne, as well as that beautiful Queen of yours?" he said maliciously.

Thembi listened to Tawegboto as he felt a terrible searing pain in his throat. Breathing was becoming difficult, he felt as if he was drowning. He looked down and watched his fur being matted with his own blood. The King stood there, motionless, trying to come to terms with the fact that he was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it.

Tawegboto in the meantime kept circling the former King and mocking him, laughing derisively at his predicament. "You can't say I didn't warn you. I gave you a chance to give up before we started fighting! But now the loser has to die..."

Thembi was feeling weaker and weaker, but he saw that Tawegboto had lowered his guard. He turned to the nomad slowly and looked at him with deep rage and fury. "It's not over until I say it's over..." Thembi snarled.

With the remaining strength he had in his broken body, Thembi sprang and landed with his full weight on the unsuspecting Tawegboto, who had been expecting Thembi to collapse to the ground any moment now. The rogue lion hit the ground with his neck exposed. Without thinking it twice, Thembi opened his mouth and closed it on the throat of his opponent.

As Thembi chocked Tawegboto, the younger lion pawed madly, wounding Thembi even more, but Thembi didn't loosen his grip, despite the pain. At last, Tawegboto stopped struggling and his chest didn't rise any more. Thembi had killed the stranger, defended his throne, and remained the King of the Pride Lands, but he knew it wouldn't be for long. He released his grip on the dead lion, and started coughing.

The wound on his own throat was lethal. He was losing too much blood, and he felt the end was near. There was no time to waste. In the distance, he could see Pride Rock. He wished to be there once more, and perhaps see his son for one last time, so he headed back to the place he had been calling home since he was born. He walked slowly, heavily, leaving a trace of blood wherever he stepped. He felt himself growing weaker and several times he was tempted to just lie down to sleep and wait for the end to come. But the desire of seeing Mufasa once more gave him renewed strength, so he kept walking, coughing now and then and feeling terrible pain in all his body.

Back at the spot where the battle had taken place, the hyenas were already picking up Tawegboto's body with their strong jaws, to carry him back to the graveyard. They would certainly feast tonight. Scar had decided not to partake of this particular meal; he found the thought of eating one of his own kind revolting.

Scar had witnessed everything in hiding, and he was aware that it had been him who had caused Thembi to lose concentration, by accidentally stepping on a twig. He looked at his father in the distance, as he struggled to reach Pride Rock, but he couldn't feel any remorse at all. He was simply glad that he didn't have to get his own paws dirty, by finishing off whoever turned out victorious. Tawegboto was dead, and Thembi would also be, shortly. He couldn't have hoped for a better outcome.

Scar thanked the rogue lion in his mind, and with a smirk on his face, he returned with the hyenas to the graveyard, one step closer to taking over the throne.

* * *

Karanga had been keeping guard on the promontory and was the first one to notice the pitiful state in which Thembi had returned from the fight.

"Oh, Thembi!" she cried, and all the lionesses turned to see what was going on. Several of them gasped when they saw the King covered in blood.

"What happened, Thembi? Please, tell me!" Karanga said as she licked him, trying to clean his face.

Thembi tried to talk, but he found it very difficult. His breathing was ragged and his legs could barely carry his own weight any more. Grunting in pain, he lay down and tried to rest a little.

"Thembi... What can we do for you? Shall I go fetch Rafiki?" Karanga said, crying desperately, seeing that the wound Thembi had on his throat was very serious.

"I'll go get him, you stay here with him!" Sita said and hurried off as if her own life depended on it.

Thembi inhaled deeply and shook is head. He knew even good old Rafiki wouldn't be able to patch him up this time. Instead, he just whispered the word, "Mufasa..."

Karanga looked up and searched for the King's son, but he wasn't there.

"Mufasa! Mufasa, where are you?" Karanga shouted.

Zazu came flying quickly. "He can't be far, he was patrolling the area because he thought he smelled hyenas nearby, but he said he'd stay close, in case his father needed help." he said nervously.

"Please go find him, Zazu! It's urgent!" Karanga said, afraid that Thembi did not have much time left.

The bird took off and flew away as fast as he could.

Karanga and the rest of the lionesses looked at Thembi.

"Oh, your highness, you will get well, you'll see..." Huria said, trying to comfort the lion.

He looked at her and smiled painfully and spoke with difficulty, "You were never a good liar, Huria... I know I am going to die, but-" he coughed as the blood kept running from his wound, "but Mufasa will take care of you..." he added in an almost inaudible voice.

Karanga nuzzled him and licked his face. She had been angry at him for so long, and she still was. But seeing him so close to dying brought back to her the memories of the love she once felt for him.

"Don't say that, Thembi, please hang on, Sita has already gone to fetch Rafiki, just hang on a little longer..." she pleaded.

Thembi looked at Karanga. "Thanks for putting up with me... We could... We could have worked out together..." Thembi whispered.

Karanga wanted to say something, but the knot she felt in her throat didn't allow her to speak.

The lionesses nuzzled each other and dried each other's tears. It was very a painful moment for the pride, but they all tried to be strong, and whispered some words of courage and comfort to the Queen, whose heart was being ripped apart slowly.

Thembi closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, he was able to see a very bright light that even caused him to narrow his eyes a bit. He felt confused and for a moment he thought he was lying in the middle of the desert, staring up at that sun.

Thembi heard a voice, but he couldn't place where it was coming from.

"Thembi..." someone called his name.

Thembi seemed to find the voice familiar, but he couldn't recognize to whom it belonged.

"I am here, Thembi, I've come for you..." the voice said again. Thembi looked harder into the light, and it slowly began taking the shape of a lion. It was shining bright and it had a ghostly appearance.

"Who are you?" Thembi asked fearfully. He realized then that he was not actually speaking, it was his mind the one that was posing the questions.

"Oh, so you don't remember your own father?" the ghost said fondly.

Thembi opened his eyes wide, as he recognized the lion's features. "Father?" he said in his mind.

"Yes, Thembi, it's me, Haraka," the brightly shining lion replied.

Thembi smiled. "Oh, father, I am so glad to see you!" Thembi said, but his smile froze when he saw Haraka was not smiling back at him. "What is wrong, Father?" he asked with uncertainty.

"My son..." Haraka said, "You didn't have to die today... But you have taken the wrong path, which led to your demise."

When he heard that phrase, Thembi felt a chill running all over his body. Haraka sounded a lot like Rafiki when he had warned him many months ago, about what he saw in his tortoise shell.

"The wrong path? What do you mean?"

Haraka looked straight at him. "You know... Your younger son could have actually saved your life today, but instead he opted to watch you die. Any idea why, Thembi?" Haraka said sternly.

Thembi looked confused for a moment, but now he understood that those noises he heard while he was fighting Tawegboto were made by his second son, hiding nearby and witnessing the battle.

Very slowly, next to Haraka, another shape began to appear. Thembi gasped as he recognized it. It was Hatari, looking still very young, his mane only starting to grow. He looked just like the last time Thembi had seen him, when the youngster ran away from Pride Rock.

"Hatari? Is he dead too? But you said-" Thembi asked, impressed by what he was seeing.

The ghost of Haraka shook his head. "Physically, he is not dead, but, what you see here..." Haraka said, looking at the ghostly shape of the young lion beside him, "What you see here is definitely dead."

Thembi looked at the newly-formed shape too, noticing the innocent look on the cub, as if he were looking at him for the first time. He stared at Hatari's beautiful green eyes that resembled Kitok's, and at his kind smile...

Thembi looked at Haraka. "I don't get it, Father..."

Haraka tilted his head a little as he talked. "See his smile? His expression of love?"

Thembi nodded.

"You will never see them again in your second son. That part of him is dead. What's left behind is a sad, lonely lion behind the nickname of Scar. Your son has changed, Thembi, and certainly not for good."

Thembi frowned. "You speak of him as if he was actually good at some point." Thembi said, out of habit, but the usual rage he felt when talking about Hatari was very mild now.

Haraka twisted his mouth slightly. "You know, you were right in thinking Hatari had something to do with your wife's untimely death."

"Of course, I knew it all along!" Thembi said as he recalled the tragic moment.

Haraka went on, "But you were mistaken in thinking that he did it on purpose. On the contrary, the cub was pretty much unaware of the favour he was doing to your wife."

"Favour? How can you call that a favour?" Thembi asked, looking confused.

"Thembi, your wife would have died anyway, and she would have suffered terribly. She was very sick..."

Thembi gasped. "She was? That can't be, she was always so strong and agile..."

Haraka nodded. "She hadn't shown many of the signs yet, but she was starting to feel a lot more tired than usual. She thought it was because of the cubs inside her, but in reality, she was carrying along an illness too, one that would have made her suffer terribly and would have ended up in a long and painful, agonizing death. You would have killed yourself first, than witnessing your wife reduced to that that state, Thembi."

Thembi had his eyes wide open, as Haraka placed ghostly images in Thembi's mind of what would have been Kitok's end, hadn't it been for Hatari's birth. Thembi saw Kitok screaming in pain, vomiting blood, losing all her weight and strength until she was too weak to stand up...

The dying King closed his eyes firmly and whispered, "Please... No more... No more, Father, I beg you..."

Haraka released the King's mind, and kept on talking to him soothingly, "Hatari helped her to leave this world before she suffered all the pain she would have gone through, and Kitok passed away happy instead, knowing she had given you two beautiful sons for you to remember her by."

Thembi remained silent, this was more than he could handle. It was clear to him now that he had been wrong indeed, but how could he have known? To him it was still logical to blame Hatari for what happened, he couldn't see any other option.

"I know what you are thinking, my son," Haraka said.

Thembi looked at his father and said, "But Father, I hated Hatari for stealing Kitok away from me, besides, he was disobedient and-"

"Thembi!" the ghost interrupted. "You will never change, will you? Not even when you are facing death?"

"Father," Thembi said, "There is nothing I can change now, is there? What happened with Hatari cannot be undone... But surely I did good things during my reign, things to make you proud of, right? I took care of the kingdom and have raised Mufasa as best as I could, and I know he is suitable for taking over my duties... Why can't you focus on that instead?"

"Did you ever stop to think about the harm you were causing Hatari with your indifference, and with your strong preference for Mufasa?" Haraka asked

Thembi looked away for a moment. "You had a strong preference for my brother too, before he died from that poisonous snake bite..." he muttered.

Haraka tilted his head. "You cannot compare, Thembi. There was not one single time in which I denied you a lesson, or in which I didn't let you partake of the pride's food. I never pushed you away, Thembi, you were the one who always kept your distance, unlike Hatari, who was dying to spend time with you."

Thembi still didn't get the point. "But why can't you focus on what I did with Mufasa instead? Hatari was the second born, after all. He wouldn't have become a king anyway..."

"Listen to yourself! Still making him sound like he was not important! He was your son, Thembi, regardless of the order in which the cubs were born! You went through something similar in your youth, can't you see it?" Haraka said sternly.

Thembi remained silent, realizing that Haraka was right. He himself had known at some point in his life what it meant to be 'second best'. He should have known better how Hatari would feel by his rejection. But he had been blinded by his hate and couldn't see past it any more.

"I will have to tell you something, son," Haraka said, seeing Thembi was finally understanding what he had done wrong. "For treating Hatari the way you did, you have condemned your whole kingdom, as well as both of your sons!"

"What do you mean, my whole kingdom? Both sons?" Thembi asked, feeling suddenly afraid.

"Hatari is now a lost cause, and your beloved Mufasa will have a tragic, untimely end. Your lands will perish, there will be no water, and the earth will become grey and dull. The herds will move on, leaving this place in complete desolation."

Thembi's eyes were wide open. "No... Not the Pride Lands! Father, please explain, what does this have to do with what I did to Hatari?"

"Remember the promise Hatari made before leaving Pride Rock?" Haraka asked.

Thembi frowned. "Promise? What promise?" he said, confused.

Haraka shook his head. "You don't even remember it... But your second son has not forgotten it, he remembers it very well and lives by it day after day..."

Thembi thought harder, trying to recall exactly what happened that day.

"He told you he was going to be a king someday, just to spite you, remember?" Haraka said, hoping to refresh Thembi's memories.

Thembi frowned for a moment. "Oh, yes, that..." he suddenly wrinkled his nose in anger, "You don't mean he will harm Mufasa, so he can become a king, do you?"

Haraka sighed. "He already sat still and watched while Tawegboto gave you that lethal wound, and he did nothing to stop him. Mufasa is the only one between him and the throne now. What do you think will happen, Thembi?"

Thembi snarled loudly. "Why are you telling me all this? It is only making my hate for that lion grow stronger!"

"Thembi!" Haraka said, "I am not telling you this so you can hate him more, but for you to recognize the mistake you have made! Hatari could have been a great King, like Mufasa, if he had received the necessary guidance from you. But your younger son will take over the throne eventually, and he has no idea how to keep this kingdom running. There is nobody else to blame for that, but you."

"Oh," Thembi said angrily, "So I will be blamed for each one of Hatari's bad decisions from now on? Like he has no free will to decide what's wrong and what isn't?"

Haraka shook his head. "Hatari will have his own punishment for his actions. I just want you to admit that you were wrong about him."

Thembi grunted slightly.

"You caused Hatari to be a lonesome lion... You told the lioness cubs not to approach him, and when he tried to talk to you, you never listened to him. Can you put yourself on the cub's place for a moment, and try to think of what a miserable cubhood must that have been?"

"But I spared his life! I had mercy on him!" Thembi growled.

"At what cost? He had to put up with your verbal and physical abuse, with your indifference... You treated him like an object, like something without feelings. If it hadn't been for Karanga's love, that young lion would be now far worse than he is now. Don't tell me that you are not responsible for this, Thembi."

Thembi opened his mouth to say something, but he fell silent.

He recalled how his behaviour towards Hatari had been, and he found that what Haraka was saying, was nothing but the truth.

Thembi sighed. "Father, I can't just suddenly feel love for that cub right now... It's beyond me..."

"I know, Thembi," Haraka said, "It's difficult, almost impossible, to learn to love someone in a matter of minutes. But what I want to hear is that you accept you have made a mistake, son."

Thembi sighed again and looked at the ghostly image of Hatari as a cub, still standing beside Haraka. He didn't know why, but he felt his eyes mist up with tears, feeling that he failed as a father, as a king, and as a husband. "I guess I should have listened to Rafiki's wise words..." he thought, and at the same time, Haraka smiled and shone brighter.

"Finally, that took a while... My son, I've never seen a more stubborn lion than you. But you've finally realized that you could have done better," Haraka said.

Thembi looked away, ashamed of himself like he had never felt before. "What good does it do, anyway? There's nothing I can do now to change things... Is there?" he asked.

Haraka shook his head. "It's too late, son. There is no escaping your punishment, you will have to be witness to what will happen to your sons and your lands. You will have a bad time seeing what the future will bring.. But I can assure you, in the end, when the balance is restored again, there will be happiness for you and for the ones you love... and eventually for Hatari, too."

Thembi sighed. "That makes me feel a little more relieved..." he whispered.

Hatari's ghostly image disappeared slowly, still smiling lovingly at his father. Thembi could not stand it and looked away.

Haraka stood up slowly and looked at Thembi. "Now, my son, you must follow me."

"What? Where to?" Thembi asked, watching his father with curiosity.

"You are coming with me now. Your place in the Circle of Life is no longer at Pride Rock, but at the sky, by my side and by the side of the other Kings of the Past."

"Father, please! Let me say good bye to Mufasa! Wait for me, just a few more minutes!" Thembi begged.

Haraka looked around for an instant and he told Thembi, "Okay, son, close your eyes, and say good bye to Mufasa."

Thembi obeyed. He closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them again, the pain in his body became apparent again. The bright light had faded completely, and all he could see were the blurry silhouettes of the lionesses, crying for him.

"He's opened his eyes again!" Karanga exclaimed, nuzzling the King, trying to bring him back to consciousness. Thembi could also make out the shape of Rafiki who was tending to his wounds without much success.

"Don't worry, Rafiki... It is my time, I've seen my Father..." he said softly, "I will be okay. You take good care of yourself and the pride..." Thembi asked Rafiki, who promised he would.

He suddenly heard Sita screaming, "Here comes Mufasa, Thembi, hang on!"

Thembi pricked his ears and smiled when he saw his son's face near him.

"Dad, what happened to you? Was it Tawegboto? Why didn't you let me help you?" Mufasa asked, crying and feeling as if he had something stuck in his throat.

Thembi smiled. "Tawegboto is dead, son. Now don't worry about me any more, it is your time to rise as King. I trust you will do a great job..." Thembi whispered.

"Father! Don't leave me here! I need you!"

Thembi coughed and whispered, "Son, I will be looking after you from the stars, remember?"

Mufasa nodded as tears rolled down his face, falling on top of Thembi's tainted pelt.

"Look at the stars, I will be there, taking care of you, guiding you and comforting you. And you won't feel lonely..." Thembi added and closed his eyes.

"Father, please, stay with me a bit longer, I still need your lessons, your advice..."

Thembi shook his head slightly. "You've learned all you need. My role here is finished."

The fallen King opened his eyes once more and waited for the blurry face of Mufasa to become sharp again. Thembi had a sudden thought, and asked Mufasa to come closer.

Mufasa obeyed and nuzzled his father, while Thembi whispered in his ear, "Mufasa, be careful with Ha-"

Thembi couldn't finish the phrase. He wanted to warn Mufasa about Hatari's plans, but some strange force didn't let him continue speaking.

Thembi closed his eyes, and, though he tried to say more, he simply couldn't. He inhaled deeply and let his breath out slowly. His chest never rose again.

"Father! Father! Wake up!" Mufasa shouted, snuggling his father's mane and licking his face.

Karanga cried also, and nuzzled Thembi. "You will be happy now, at the side of the only lioness you really loved... Please say hi to Kitok for me, and don't forget about us... Don't forget about me..." she said in her mind.

The rest of the pride let out mourning roars, letting everyone within earshot know that the King was dead. The news spread out quickly all over the area, reaching as far as the elephant graveyard too, where the hyenas started celebrating and whooped elatedly.

Tahlili and Shada were too young to realize what was going on, but Mahali was visibly shaken. She snuggled next to Anasa, feeling uneasy, witnessing everyone's pain.

In the meantime, the ghost of Thembi sat now next to his father Haraka, and watched as the pride mourned for him. He felt he didn't deserve their sorrow.

"It is time to go, my son."

Thembi sighed. "Too bad I couldn't talk to Mufasa a little longer..." he said.

Haraka looked at him. "You could have said more, if you hadn't thought on telling him what was going to happen!" he scolded him gently.

Thembi nodded. "I know, father. It was worth a try..." he said with a slight smile, which, deep inside, was hiding a terrible sadness, knowing the fate his beloved son would have to face.

"Kitok must be waiting for you..." Haraka said.

"I am not sure I can face her, after all this fiasco..." Thembi said, sighing deeply.

"Hmm..." Haraka said, "She was not happy about what you did to Hatari, but I don't think she ever stopped loving you."

Thembi smiled and remained quiet for a moment. He looked sad as he suddenly remembered something.

"He was supposed to be Baraka..." he said at last.

"I'm sorry?" Haraka asked, looking confused.

"Baraka," repeated Thembi more firmly. "That was going to be Hatari's name, the one I had chosen for him before he was even born."

"Baraka? _Blessing_? Oh, my dear Thembi, if only we could both turn back time, and try again, and make better choices..." Haraka said sadly.

Both lions nuzzled each other. At that point Thembi realized he was far away from the ground now, and he could look at Pride Rock from above. The view amazed him.

But he could not feel at ease, knowing what the future would bring. Thembi always imagined that he would go meet the Kings of the Past feeling proud and holding his head high. A mighty warrior, a great King. Instead, his upcoming meeting with his ancestors made him feel afraid and ashamed for what he had done. It was not quite the way he had pictured it.

The fallen King followed Haraka quietly. He hoped his ancestors wouldn't despise him much, and he feared having to face Kitok and answer to her for the way he treated Hatari. He was now prepared to beg her and his cub for forgiveness, even if it took him an eternity to find his peace.


	18. Return to Pride Rock

_Chapter 18_

**Return to Pride Rock**

Mufasa had taken care of Thembi's burial with Rafiki's help. The pride was now back at Pride Rock, where Mufasa had assembled the lionesses together. He was supposed to give a speech about his father's death and about him taking over the throne, but he found it difficult to speak without bursting into tears. He had to be strong for his pride now, so he did his best to keep calm and composed.

The new King stepped on top of a small rock so that everyone could see and hear him clearly.

"Dear pride," he started, trying not to cry, "Two days ago, my beloved father Thembi, King of the Pride Lands, went to join the Great Kings of the Past, leaving me behind to assume the role of King. I promise you that I will do my best to take care of the Kingdom, as well as everyone in it. I hope one day I will be a great King too, just like he was."

The lionesses listened intently and bowed at him, recognizing him as the new leader and King.

Mufasa stepped off the rock and nuzzled his mate Sarabi. She licked him lovingly and whispered words of comfort.

The new King looked around briefly and spotted Zazu nearby, looking very sad as well.

"Zazu..." Mufasa said.

The bird looked up at him. "Yes, sire?"

"Could I ask you a favour?"

"Anything, sire..." the bird replied, bowing too to the new King.

"I would like Hatari to come back here. Perhaps we can come to an agreement, now that Father is gone..."

Zazu looked up at Mufasa, intrigued.

"Can you look for him and let him know that I'd really like to talk to him? Karanga and I have tried reaching the graveyard, but the hyenas would not let us through. Perhaps you can reach him by air, just to pass on my message?"

Zazu nodded. "I'll do my best, but I am not sure he will appreciate me showing up uninvited, he thinks I told your Father all about the hyenas..."

"You don't have to stay long, feel free to yell the message from above if necessary, as long as he knows..."

"All right, sire, I'll do it right away," Zazu said and took off in the direction of the elephant graveyard.

* * *

Meanwhile, the spy hyena was talking to Scar, filling him in on the latest news from the Pride Lands.

"So the burial's done and over with, and your brother has finally taken over. Everyone's still crying all over the place though, and some of the animals have popped by Pride Rock to offer their condolences to the new King."

Scar snorted. "Thanks for keeping me posted." he said.

The hyena nodded and ran off quickly.

Scar headed up to his favourite spot on the graveyard, a high ledge where he could keep an eye on things, and where he wouldn't be easily bothered, since the hyenas couldn't climb that high.

He kept thinking about the battle between Thembi and Tawegboto. Scar knew very well that he could have helped his father, but he was sure that if he had intervened, Thembi would have only scolded him for meddling, or worse, killed him for coming back.

But now he hoped things would be different. With Mufasa in the throne, maybe he still had a chance to go back into the pride. He just wasn't sure whether Mufasa wanted him back at all, after all, they didn't part in good terms.

Scar heard the flapping of wings above him and looked up. He spotted Zazu, flying around nervously. He frowned.

"What do you want?" Scar yelled at the bird.

"I need to speak to you, can you please listen to me for a minute?"

Scar shrugged. "If you dare..." he said, baring his teeth a bit.

Zazu swallowed, but decided to land down on the ledge against his better judgement.

Scar simply looked at him, looking tired and bored.

Zazu stared back, amazed to see how the little cub had turned into a full grown lion now. After not having seen Scar in months, it still came as a surprise to him.

"If you came here to tell me that Father's dead, spare yourself the trouble, I already knew," Scar said dryly.

Zazu shook his head nervously. "I'm here actually because King Mufasa asked me to. He wants you to know that you are welcome to return, now that it's safe for you to go back to the Pride Lands."

Scar looked at Zazu, a bit surprised. "He actually said that?"

Zazu nodded, keeping an eye on the lion just in case he decided to attack suddenly.

"Hmmm..." Scar said softly... "I don't know, I am having quite a blast here at the graveyard, as you can see."

Zazu looked around at the barren and desolate place and shuddered.

"You can tell my brother that I'll think about it," he said curtly.

The bird nodded. He was about to fly away, but turned to look at Scar over his shoulder. Gathering courage, the little hornbill muttered, "It was their smell, you know..."

Scar looked at Zazu confused. "What did you say?"

"I had told your father I couldn't find you, but it was the hyena smell on my feathers what gave it all away that day..."

Scar looked at the bird quietly for a moment. "Am I supposed to believe he actually let you keep your job, after having lied to him because of me?"

Zazu nodded. He himself had felt surprised that Thembi didn't fire him, or worse... But Zazu realized now that his credibility with Hatari had been damaged, and it would be hard to convince the lion that he did not tell on him.

Scar narrowed his eyes for a moment and hissed, "Just get out."

"It is true! You can ask Rafiki, he was there when-"

"Out, I said! I don't want to hear any more!" the lion yelled.

"Fine, fine!" Zazu flew away quickly, not feeling very safe around Scar for the time being.

Once Zazu had faded in the distance, Scar climbed down of his ledge and looked for Shenzi. He found her discussing the next hunting schedule with some of the older hyenas.

He waited for her patiently, until she was done. Shenzi came to him after the hyenas left, frowning slightly.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Scar said.

"You're smiling. A bigger grin than that, and you'll look just like Ed," she said, looking moody.

Scar chuckled. "The majordomo bird just popped by to pay me a visit. He says Mufasa wants me to go back..."

Shenzi looked at him. "You're leaving us," she said, as if it were a fact.

Scar nodded but patted Shenzi on the back. "Don't worry, I will still visit and perhaps I can bring food again, like in the good, old days..."

"Just admit it, Scar, life here's too tough for a lion like you," she taunted, but Scar could tell that she looked a bit sad.

"I need to be there, analyse the situation, you know, how a good King Mufasa is and such... perhaps it would help me to come up with a plan to seize the throne..." he said.

Shenzi looked at him. "Ah yes, of course, that promise of yours... Well... Good luck getting past Mufasa. I saw him the other day, and man, is he huge."

Scar grunted. He had looked at his own reflection not long ago, and his shoulder blades and ribs were sticking out visibly.

"Are you leaving soon then?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't want to seem too eager, so I think I will wait a couple of days. I also don't want to be there while everyone's still sad and grieving for Thembi..."

Shenzi nodded. "I understand... Just... just don't forget about us... We lent you a hand, you know..."

"I'll never forget your help, ever," Scar said, looking into her eyes. "I know we've been fighting a lot lately, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate you guys giving me shelter here."

Shenzi smiled a bit. Perhaps with Scar back in the Pride Lands they would start to get along well once again, like they used to in the past. Maybe a bit of distance might do the hyenas and the lion good.

* * *

Several weeks went by before Scar made up his mind and decided to return to Pride Lands. Mufasa had even started to give up hope, thinking that Scar didn't want anything to do with the pride at all.

But one morning, Scar finally made the decision to return. He said good bye to the hyenas, and made his way to Pride Rock.

The way there felt strangely familiar, but he remembered how scared he was when he walked it for the last time. Only he didn't feel afraid now, not any more.

He looked ahead and descried a tawny shape in the distance. It was a lioness. Scar felt suddenly apprehensive, until he realized that it was actually his mother, nursing.

Karanga was lying on the ground, feeding her cubs. She kept talking to the little lionesses as they ate.

"... and then I'll teach you both how to hunt. Sounds like fun, eh? " she told her cubs, and licked their heads lovingly. The lionesses purred softly in return.

Karanga lifted her head as she felt the wind blowing gently in her face. She closed her eyes, enjoying the cooling sensation and hoping the wind would dry her tears. She had been missing Hatari and Thembi, and she would still cry for them every now and then, though she promised to be strong for her pride. She was no longer Queen of the Pride Lands, but they still looked up to her.

The lioness opened her eyes again and she saw something that made her fur stand on edge. A male lion was standing not far from where she was. Karanga stood up quickly and hugged her daughters protectively, as she looked distrustfully at the stranger.

"Don't come any closer! You are warned!" she yelled.

The lion half-smiled. "What's the matter? Now you too want me away from your cubs?" he asked.

Karanga blinked a couple of times. "It can't be..."

She took a few steps closer towards the the lion, his black mane shifting in the wind. Her worried face turned into an excited one when she noticed that the lion had a scar on his left eye.

"My Hatari!" she shouted happily and ran to him.

Scar smiled. He also felt genuinely happy to see Karanga, the only lioness that had ever been kind to him. He padded to her and greeted her with a nuzzle.

"Hello, mother," he said softly.

Karanga burst in tears when she heard the adult voice of her favourite cub.

"My little one, how much you have changed! Look at you! And your voice! You're all grown up, and all this time I was afraid that you hadn't survived!" she said very quickly, kissing Scar's face repeatedly, making up for all these months where she couldn't nuzzle him.

Scar closed his eyes and enjoyed her attention. "Here I am again, mother. I am sorry I left the way I did, but it was for the best."

Karanga nodded sadly at him.

"Perhaps, if my brother doesn't mind, I could live here again, now that it's safe, without Father," Scar said, trying to hide as much as possible his hate for Thembi.

Karanga nodded. "Mufasa has been waiting for you ever since he sent his message out with Zazu. I know you have suffered a lot because of your father, but I trust things will only get better for you from now on."

Scar nodded. "Anyway, I am glad to be here. I missed you, mother," he said.

"I missed you too, honey, so much..." She looked at Scar up and down. "Why, you are so handsome!" she said, recognizing Thembi's features right away in the young lion.

Scar smiled. "Please, I'm skin and bones..." he said shyly.

She kissed him again. "Come on, let's go home," she said and walked back to her cubs who were looking at them curiously.

Scar looked at them and sniffed them carefully. "Are these the cubs you were expecting when I left?" he asked in awe.

"Yes, the older one is Tahlili, the younger one is Shada." she said.

"Hello!" both lionesses exclaimed in unison.

"Wow, they're so big! I guess it has really been a long time since I left..."

"That's true, my son. Just look at you! Your mane is fully grown now," she said, smiling at him all the time.

"Mom has told us about you, you're our brother!" Tahlili said looking excited.

He smiled back, and followed Karanga back to Pride Rock, while the little lionesses chatted non-stop about the stories Karanga had told them about him. All good things, he admitted with a smile. But he couldn't help but wonder what the reaction of the rest of the pride would be. He was bracing himself for a less warm welcome.

When they arrived at Pride Rock, Karanga roared happily and shouted, "Come here everyone!"

Scar felt suddenly nervous. He knew that the lionesses didn't like him at all, specially Sarabi and Sarafina, who had always neglected him.

One by one, the lionesses approached and stopped on their tracks when they saw Karanga standing with a stranger.

"Huh... Who is that?" Sita thought as she approached. A few seconds later, she realized it was Thembi's son. "Sca- Hatari?" she said in a whisper and approached the lion.

"Yes, it's me, Scar, Sita. Nice to see you again," Scar said, trying to sound calm.

"We thought you were dead! Where have you been all this time?" she asked looking at the lion, awed.

"Not far from here..." he replied. He noticed other lionesses approaching. Two of them were young and very beautiful. The lionesses stopped immediately when they saw the dark lion standing beside Sita and Karanga.

"Who is that?" Sarafina whispered.

Sarabi narrowed her eyes, trying to recognize the lion, and when she saw the scar, she knew perfectly who that was. "It's Mufasa's brother..." she said.

Sarafina gasped. "Scar? He is back? Oh, Mahali won't like this a bit..." she said laughing a bit, knowing that the young lioness was still afraid of him.

They approached him. "Hello, uh, Hatari..." Sarabi said, without knowing how to address him.

Scar sighed. "You can all call me Scar," he said out loud, "Nobody calls me Hatari any more, I despise that name."

Karanga looked at him, she couldn't blame him for not wanting to use his real name any more.

Scar couldn't help but looking at Sarabi and Sarafina, who had turned into the most beautiful lionesses his eyes had ever met.

Just then, he heard a loud roar in the distance. A roar he knew too well.

"Here comes Mufasa..." Sarabi said, smiling happily at the thought of seeing her mate.

"Mufasa has assumed the throne now. He was away marking the borders," Karanga explained.

Scar half-smiled. He didn't feel like seeing his brother, but he needed to do so in order to regain entry into the pride again.

After a few minutes, he saw the golden shape of his brother coming their way.

"Mufasa, come quick! Your brother is back!" Sarafina shouted.

Mufasa pricked his ears when he heard Sarafina, and noticed the dark-maned lion among the lionesses. He felt extremely happy. "Hey, Zazu, did you hear that? My brother's finally back!" he said.

Zazu gasped. He felt less excited about Scar's return, having confirmed that the lion was still angry at him for revealing his secret to Thembi.

Mufasa came to a stop, panting a little bit. He looked at Scar and gave him a sincere smile. "Brother, welcome home!" Mufasa said.

His deep voice impressed Scar terribly. "What happened to your voice ?" Scar asked in awe.

"What happened to yours?" Mufasa asked smiling, eyeing his brother up and down. Mufasa could quickly assess that Scar had had a rough time while he was away. He had never had much muscle mass to begin with, but right now the lion was at the border of emaciation.

Scar looked around. "It has been a long time... everything looks a bit different..." he said, looking around at the beautiful land, admiringly.

Mufasa smiled and nuzzled him softly. Scar was taken aback, but allowed him.

"You can live with us at the cave again," Mufasa said.

Scar was about to thank him when he noticed the looks in some of the lionesses' faces. They didn't look too happy about it. So, he shook his head. "Thanks, brother, but I'd prefer to have my own place. I became a little independent when I was away... besides, I don't want to be a nuisance..." he said, glancing at the lionesses as he spoke. "Is the southern ledge still free?"

Mufasa nodded "Yes, it is free. But remember you will be welcome in the cave whenever you want," he insisted.

Scar smiled. Inhaling deeply, he said, "Well, if you don't mind... I would like to rest a little... The journey was long so I could use some sleep."

The pride nodded understandingly.

"It's been good seeing you all again and in good health. I'll see you all later..." Scar said and headed to his ledge, walking past Zazu along the way. He looked at him through the corner of his eyes.

Zazu could feel Scar's gaze, full of hate and anger. The bird sighed in relief once the lion disappeared behind the boulders of Pride Rock.

Mufasa smiled to himself. "Rest for now brother, but we have a lot of catching up to do..." he said softly.

The lionesses whispered to each other once both male lions were not within earshot.

"I am not sure about this..." Sarafina whispered, "What if he's still seeing the hyenas? What if he starts stealing our food again? I feel I can't trust him..."

Sarabi nodded. "I don't have a problem with him hanging out with the hyenas, as long as he doesn't steal from our catch and as long as he keeps away from us," she whispered back.

In the meantime, Mufasa sat down not far from there, looking a bit worried. "He's sad, I can sense it..." he thought.

Karanga noticed the King was a bit perturbed, she believed Mufasa had sensed the same sadness in Scar that she felt too when they met again.

As if she had read Mufasa's thoughts, Karanga approached him and said, "You know, I think he is having a hard time... Coming back might have brought to him a lot of painful memories..."

Mufasa nodded slowly. "Yes... I think so too. But you will see, Karanga, everything will change. As much as I admired my father, I think his approach with my brother was very wrong. I love my father terribly, and I miss him even more, but in a way I am happy for Hata- Scar. Father will no longer hurt him, and perhaps he can finally have a good life, for a change..." he said sincerely.

Karanga gave him a warm smile.

Mufasa left again to finish marking the borders, and Karanga watched him leave, feeling proud of her older adoptive son. She then listened to the lionesses distractedly.

"I think it would have been better if he didn't come back..." Anasa whispered.

Her daughter Mahali nodded quickly. "What if he tries to kill us like he did with Kitok?" she asked fearfully.

Karanga heard the lionesses' discussion and went back to sit with them. "That's nonsense, Mahali," she said, "I can vouch for Scar and he did not kill his own mother. Just think, did he ever try to hurt anyone of you, at any point, during his miserable stay at this place?"

The lionesses thought about it, but no one could answer.

Karanga went on, "What Thembi said about him is now in the past. Scar deserves a second chance, and I also think a few of you owe him an apology, for the way you behaved towards him when he was a cub," she eyed Sarabi, Sarafina and Ndani as she said this.

"We were just following Thembi's orders..." Ndani said, looking sulky.

"Well perhaps then you can explain to him why you have been rude all this time," replied Karanga, as Ndani rolled her eyes.

Sarafina bit her lip for a moment. "I was hoping we could just... ignore him and pretend he's not there?"

"Would you like it if we did that to you?" Karanga asked.

After pondering for a couple of seconds, Sarafina shook her head.

Sarabi sighed. "I guess we can start easy... Say 'good morning' to him or something and go from there... I agree with Karanga, we can't ignore him forever. Mufasa himself invited him to return and it is our duty as his pride to make him feel welcome."

"Yeah," Huria replied, "We can't forget the fact that he is the Prince, after all..."

Karanga sighed deeply. "I know you girls never had the chance to get to know him, so I don't expect you to like him from one day to the other. But I beg you, at least try to be kind with him... We don't know what he has been through during his time away from the Pride Lands..." she said.

The lionesses nodded in agreement. "All right, Karanga, we'll do our best..." Sarabi said finally.

Karanga smiled and went to lie down far from the group, it would be dinner time soon and Tahlili and Shada were bound to come to her demanding to be fed.

Kuuliza smiled at her and went to join her daughter.

The rest of the lionesses continued talking in hushed voices.

Sita whispered, "Personally, I wouldn't mind talking to Scar and all that, but I am afraid Mufasa might decide to form a coalition with him, to compensate for the years when Scar had nothing..."

"I hadn't thought about that!" Huria exclaimed, "We don't even know what kind of lion he is... It has been a long time since we talked to him. I don't know, the idea that he could have mating rights makes me shudder..." she said distrustfully.

"That thought kind of makes me feel the same repulsion I felt when Tawegboto was making passes at us," Anasa admitted.

Sarafina stirred a little. "I don't know... I think between Scar and a stranger, I'd still choose Scar..."

"Ooooo... Someone's falling for dark-maned blokes..." Mahali teased her.

Sarafina swatted her gently with a paw. "Cut it out, you."

"Well, even if they form a coalition, we can always go directly to Mufasa when we feel the need to bear cubs. Right?" Sita asked.

"Yeah, but Mufasa is bound to be very busy though, now that he has to rule the Kingdom on his own. And he also has Sarabi to care for."

Sarabi couldn't help but blush at this awkward conversation about her and her mate, but she smiled at them and said, "Well you might as well start becoming best friends with Scar, because I'm not sharing my Mufasa."

The lionesses laughed.

Sarabi was not really jealous. She knew that although Mufasa had declared his unconditional love to her, he would also have to answer the other lionesses' requests to have cubs. That didn't mean that Mufasa loved her any less, but Sarabi didn't dare to admit that she wouldn't mind much if they all addressed their requests to Scar, or to a rogue lion instead, and left Mufasa all to herself.

Huria looked at Anasa, hesitating for a moment. "Was it weird?" she asked.

"What was weird?" Anasa said.

Huria shifted her position slightly, a bit afraid of sounding like she was intruding in private matters. "You don't need to answer of course... But... Was it weird, asking Thembi for cubs, knowing he and Karanga... You know."

Anasa smiled for a moment. She was the only lioness besides Karanga that had dared ask Thembi for help in fulfilling her maternal instincts.

"Well... It's not like I did it behind her back or anything. I actually asked Karanga to come with me for a walk, and I told her that I really wanted cubs of my own and asked her if it would be okay for me to go to Thembi."

"And what did she say?"

Anasa closed her eyes and chuckled. "She thanked me for letting her know, she said Thembi was all mine for as long as my season lasted, and just wished me luck. She didn't sound upset or anything, but then again, things weren't all too great between them. Maybe she didn't care..."

The lionesses shrugged and remained quiet, thinking how it will be like when the time comes to ask Sarabi for permission to spend time with Mufasa.

Mahali interrupted the silence. She was too young to understand what the older lionesses were talking about, so her mind had wandered off.

"Mom, I was thinking..." she said, "Scar was the second born, so that means that he is next in line for the throne, right? And if something happened to Mufasa, Scar would become King. Right?"

Anasa nodded at her daughter. "That's right, little one, why do you ask?"

"What if something happens to Mufasa _and_ Scar? Who's the King then?"

The lionesses chuckled.

"Well, if either one of them had a son, then he would be the next in line for the throne. If they didn't have sons, then we'd have to find us a male who is willing to take care of us and the Pride Lands."

"I see..." the little cub said, thoughtfully, "And if King Mufasa has a son, but Scar is still alive... Then what happens to Scar?"

"In that case, Scar loses all rights to the throne, and King Mufasa's son would be the next in line.

Mahali was satisfied with Anasa's answers and got distracted with a butterfly that was flying nearby. She forgot all about her conversation and went into full pouncing mode.

In the meantime, the lionesses looked at Sarabi.

Sarabi felt nervous and said, "Hey, why are you looking at me?"

"Well, you know why!" Huria said, pawing playfully at Sarabi's face, "You better hurry up in giving that son to Mufasa, we don't really look forward to having Scar as King..."

Sarabi frowned. "You're talking like something bad is going to happen to Mufasa soon. Please don't joke about that, ever," she said firmly.

Huria nodded, feeling embarrassed. "Oh my, you're right... I'm very, very sorry, Sarabi. That was way out of line. I wasn't thinking..." she said, apologetically.

Sarabi smiled at Huria and nuzzled her, accepting her apologies.

At that moment, Tahlili and Shada came running happily, as predicted, looking for their mother and in search for food. They were running so hard that they couldn't stop in time, and collided against the older lionesses.

"Ouch! Be careful, you two!" Sita said as one of them hit her full force in the stomach.

"Sorry..." Shada replied, kissing Sita on one paw.

Sita smiled at her lovingly, and everything was forgiven.

"Why were you running like mad? Were you playing 'Crazy Crocs' and you didn't ask me to join?" Mahali asked them, feeling resentful.

Tahlili and Shada giggled. "No..." Tahlili whispered, "We just saw something really funny! We were spying on the lion that came here today..." and giggled some more.

The older lionesses frowned. "What's so funny about it, girls?" Huria asked the cubs.

Shada burst in laughter. "He- he was- He was crying!" she said between laughs, "Just like Lili cries when she is hungry!"

Tahlili snarled at her. "Hey, even I don't cry like that!" Looking at the lionesses, she added, "Really, I have never seen something so funny... he looked like a big baby!"

The lionesses remained serious and looked at each other. Sarabi picked up Shada by the scruff of her neck and told her, "Honey, first of all, you don't spy on other lions, it is very, very rude. Second, there's nothing funny in seeing someone crying."

Shada and Tahlili swallowed their laughs and stared at the ground in shame. "Well... I thought it was funny to see someone as old as he is, crying like that..." the cub whispered.

Sarabi shook her head. "It doesn't matter if he's older than you or not... He can cry just like you do. He's just feeling sad, he's been away for a while and coming back has been difficult for him. You shouldn't make fun of that."

The cubs sighed. "Okay, we're sorry. We won't spy on him or laugh at him again..."

"Did he see you? Does he know you were there?" Sarabi asked.

The cubs shook their heads. "I don't think so... he had his back turned on us, he couldn't have seen us..." Tahlili said.

"Okay," Sarabi said, and kissed the cubs on the head. "Why don't you go eat and take a nap with your mom Karanga? Doesn't that sound nice?"

"Yeah, it does..." Shada replied sadly, because the fun was over.

Both cubs walked to the former queen, who was still talking with Kuuliza.

Karanga's face brightened up when the two cubs approached her and sat down to eat. She cradled them with her paw, and once they had had their fill, Tahlili and Shada snuggled against her tummy and fell asleep within minutes.

Karanga hugged them with her paw and she too joined them in a nap.

The rest of the pride looked at each other with visible indecision.

"Should we go and see Scar?" Huria asked.

The rest of the lionesses muttered unintelligible answers. All of them thought it would be the kind thing to do, but no one dared to do it.

"Why don't you draw twigs?" Mahali suggested.

The adult lionesses agreed to this. The one who drew the shortest twig would have to go check on Scar.

Mahali gathered some twigs, and one by one the lionesses drew a stick from her paw.

As they compared sticks, Ndani let out a loud groan.

"Well, good luck, Ndani! Send him our greetings, will you?" Huria said, taunting her pride mate.

"Shut up," Ndani snarled, and cursed at the short twig.

Anasa grinned. "Come on, it was fair and square. You can stop sulking now."

Ndani stuck her tongue out at her and slunk away towards the southern ledge, her ears angrily flattened against her head.

"That young lady never learned any manners, did she?" Sita sniggered as she watched her go.

* * *

Scar was by his favourite ledge on Pride Rock, and just like the cubs described, he was sobbing uncontrollably, unable to contain himself.

Karanga was right; the place had brought terrible memories back to Scar's mind, and he felt so miserable, that for a moment he even regretted coming back to Pride Rock.

He recalled some of the most painful moments he spent there: Thembi's rejection, playing alone, learning to hunt alone, and living alone, with only Karanga to care for him. If he hadn't counted with Karanga's love and support, he might have even killed himself.

But those memories only made Scar crave for the throne even more than before.

Seeing Mufasa all grown up, strong and handsome, had a nasty effect on Scar's self-esteem. Again, he felt lesser than his brother. He cursed his misshapen eye, his scrawny looks and the fact that he resembled Thembi.

Even though he tried, Scar couldn't stop crying for several minutes. Eventually he calmed down, and try to dry his soaked face with a paw. When he thought he looked more or less decent, and nobody would notice he'd been crying, he stood up and walked away from his ledge, wanting to get some fresh air elsewhere where there were less bad memories to recall.

He chose a high spot where he could see the pride going on about their business as usual. He spotted the lionesses huddled together, and not far from there, Karanga asleep with her two cubs. Scar couldn't help but smile slightly, feeling glad to see her again, and looking happier than she ever did before.

Scar looked over his shoulder when he heard a rustle behind him. Someone was approaching. He extended his claws, and waited in anticipation.

Scar was not aware that he only seemed to retract his claws fully when he was alone and when he felt completely safe. The lack of confidence in himself meant that he spent most of the time with his claws extended, which meant he had to sharpen them a lot more often than the rest of the lions. He never gave this much thought, he was used to having his claws out most of the time.

Scar raised an eyebrow when he saw the slim shape of Ndani making her way towards him.

Ndani sat down next to him unceremoniously. "They've sent me to check on you and to cheer you up." she mumbled.

Scar had to suppress a grin. "You were never the cheery type though. Couldn't they have sent someone else?"

Ndani grunted. "We drew twigs." she admitted, not feeling too bad about being bluntly honest with Scar.

Scar stared at the pride below him again. "Oh poor you, now you have the burden to come and speak to me... Such a tough life you lead, you martyr."

"Why did you come back anyway?" she asked, annoyed, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

Scar turned and looked at her. She was staring straight ahead, avoiding visual contact.

"Mufasa asked me to. If you have any problems with that, I suggest you go and take it up with him directly."

Ndani finally looked at him, and she could still see that the lion had a bit of a wet face. "You don't seem too happy to be back, though."

Scar relaxed a little bit and lay down, crossing his paws. "It was tough, growing up here. Coming back made me relive some nasty moments, that's all. I'll be fine. So I relieve you from your duty now, you can go back to the lionesses."

Ndani stared at the ground thoughtfully, knowing very well that she was probably part of Scar's horrible memories, as she had been a really mean, nasty little cub towards him.

In the meantime, Scar looked intently at her, realizing how much she had grown too. Her slim figure and the random small scars that adorned her body and face were enough for Scar to see that she did not had had it very easy either.

"We were very young, we didn't know any better," Ndani said at last, deciding to come clean.

Scar pricked his ears and listened to her.

"You yourself know how imposing Thembi could be... He called us one day and forbid us to play with you because you were sick in the head and you could lash at us any minute, without any warning."

Scar frowned. He had suspected Thembi had something to do with the cubs not wanting to be near him, but to hear it from one of them directly made his blood boil. "Sick in the head? If anybody was sick in the head, it was him!" he muttered through clenched teeth.

Ndani went on, "We were just dumb and afraid, and half the time my sisters kept whining about how bad they felt for treating you like that... but one stern look from Thembi and it was enough to remind us what his orders were. Stay away from him, he had said, unless you wanna die a painful death."

Scar nodded. "I see... It certainly explains a lot..." He looked at her. "But without Thembi to glare down on you, and knowing that I haven't jumped on anyone's throats in a fit of madness, like he said... Will it make a difference with you and the rest of the lionesses?"

Ndani looked at him. "Hard to tell, everyone seems so infatuated with Mufasa, and we never really got to build a bond with you. If I were you, I wouldn't expect to be treated like a king overnight, if that's what you mean."

"No, not overnight, no..." Scar said, smiling to himself.

Ndani sighed. She had came up here determined to speak to Scar for a minute or two and then leave, but she found herself quite intrigued by the lion, who certainly wasn't as bad as Thembi had once described.

Ndani snorted. "Hell, even I, having lived here my whole life, still found it difficult to build a bond with them. Sometimes I wonder if there's even a bond at all..."

"I take it you're at the bottom of the pack?" Scar said.

"Bottom of the pack? We're not hyenas, you know. But... yes, in a way. They don't like to leave me alone with the cubs because they say I'll teach 'em bad things," she said, making a rude signal at the lionesses down below, which made Scar chuckle.

She went on, not stopping to take a breath, "And they don't like to take me out hunting 'cause they say I ain't patient enough and I ruin everything. So they assigned me to the guard post instead, and I get to sit there all day while they go hunting, waiting for something interesting to happen. Can you guess how many times something interesting has happened? Once. It was a small bird who was just learning to fly, and who ended up landing on my head. Psh... guard post, my bum!"

Ndani finally remembered to breathe, and sighed deeply, flopping down on her side, next to Scar.

Scar thought back to the time when they were cubs, and he could remember that ever since then Ndani had been indeed a bit of a loner.

"And to think, we could have been good friends and make each other's lives a lot more interesting, hadn't it been for my father... It seems he ruined more than one life, didn't he..." Scar said.

Ndani shook her head. "Nah, no one wanted to be friends with me, I don't think even you, desperate as you were to make friends, would have wanted to. I was nasty. Still am. I'm nothing but trouble and I keep getting everyone else into trouble too. And damn, all those mean things I said back then..." she shook her head, embarrassed.

Scar was moved by the lioness, pouring her heart out to him like that. There was a certain connection that they both felt now, and Ndani, never having felt anything like it before, just kept talking to him and relieving her soul from all the things that she had been carrying inside her.

He was mostly touched by Ndani's lack of self-esteem. One thing or another had led Ndani to think very little of herself, and Scar could totally relate, he knew exactly how that felt like.

"Sarafina is great with the cubs, while Sarabi turned out to be a great hunter. But I ended up stuck in the middle, not being really good at any of the two."

"I can't give you any advise on that, I'm a lousy hunter myself, and I never did any baby-sitting," Scar replied.

Ndani grinned. "I'd rather hunt than having to take care of them nosy brats, but that's just me."

Scar remained silent and then let out a slight chuckle. "They sent you up here to cheer me up, you said... Well, I have to admit, it worked."

Ndani blinked a couple of times, she had forgotten about all the sulking and cursing she did when she lost the twig draw.

"Heh... Yeah..." she said, chuckling nervously, "I thought we'd end up yelling at each other or something, like when we were cubs."

"Times change, hmm?" Scar said, stretching himself.

Ndani nodded. "I should go back though, or I'll never hear the end of it. I can hear 'em yapping now: 'You were with him ALL THIS FRICKIN' TIME?'" she said, showing Scar a toothy grin.

Scar looked at her, he could tell that at some point in her life she also made friends outside of the pride. Her way of talking, her expressions, her mannerisms and the bad words... She must have picked up all that somewhere. The lion had been careful not to let the hyena-talk rub on him, but Ndani seemed not to bother.

"I think you haven't been totally honest with me though. Tell me, Ndani, who are they?" Scar said, standing up together with the lioness.

"What are you on about?" she said, confused.

"You've made friends outside the pride. I can tell, you seem to have picked up things that the lionesses don't teach around here."

Ndani looked away, the usual scowl coming back to her face. "That's none of your business. Bugger off."

Scar insisted. "Come on, you know about me and my friendship with hyenas... I'm interested to know, who was it that accepted you the way you are?"

Ndani looked at him. "You won't tell anyone, right?"

"Cross my heart."

Ndani sat on her haunches again. "It's a couple of rogue lionesses who team up with a leopardess every now and then. The lionesses roam around without a male to care for them, but they have toughened up so bad that they don't need a male any more. They can get by on their own. In times of famine, they get together with the leopardess and hunt together to increase the chance of a kill."

Scar listened to her with interest.

"I met them once when I thought of running away, no one would have missed me anyway. But the rogue lionesses told me I was still too young to face the dangers outside, and that if I ever wanted some time off, that I could look for them instead and we could do things together. They really made a point about not going out there on my own. So I started hanging out with them sometimes. They were so carefree and seemed not to have a worry in the world except when it came to dinner," Ndani said dreamily, recalling how much fun she had with them.

"Do you still see them often?" Scar asked.

Ndani nodded. "Yes, they are not far from the border, so I can go to them whenever I want."

"Maybe I can meet them sometime?" Scar said.

Ndani laughed. "Ooooh no, that's not going to work out. Specially with Zira, she hates male lions. She says they're nothing but heartache."

Scar twisted his mouth. "Surely we lions are not all that bad?"

"You'll have to tell her that then... But just a tip, make sure Rafiki lingers nearby to fix your other eye, cause she's gonna smack you so friggin hard!" she said, laughing until tears came to her eyes.

"Fine, Fine, you can meet my hyena friends then. They won't make a fuss."

Ndani grinned. "We'll see..."

She stood up, stretching her legs a bit, "I guess I'll talk to you later then, if I get unlucky again and draw a short stick next time," she teased, but gave him a wink.

Scar watched the lioness go. It was interesting to hold such a long conversation with a lioness other than Karanga, and he found her honesty and bluntness a bit refreshing. The lion couldn't say he felt romantically attracted to her though, but he liked toying with the idea that he would have someone else near to talk to, other than his mom and the hyenas.

Scar returned to the southern ledge of Pride Rock, feeling in a much better mood than before. Perhaps returning to the Pride Lands wasn't such a bad idea after all.


	19. The Pieces Have Fallen Into Place

_Chapter 19_

**The Pieces Have Fallen Into Place**

As months went by, Scar had tried to fit in with the Pride, while buying his time until he could seize the throne.

Unfortunately, Scar's return wasn't exactly what Mufasa had expected. He had hoped for the both of them sharing the responsibilities of caring for the Kingdom, but Scar had refused, saying that that was what Thembi had trained Mufasa for, and that he didn't need the help of a useless lion who wasn't good at anything.

Mufasa knew perfectly well that he could take care of things without Scar's help, but he thought that it would make Scar happier if he could participate. But Mufasa was wrong. Scar had turned out to be bitter and sarcastic. Whenever Mufasa wanted to talk to him or try to involve him in the pride's activities, Scar just couldn't make aside the fact that Thembi had always preferred his big brother, and thus, he behaved bitterly and resentful towards him.

However, Mufasa had warned Scar that he couldn't just sit there and do nothing all day, while he went off on patrol and the lionesses worked hard to feed everyone. If he wanted food, he had to earn it.

As such, Scar eventually accepted helping Mufasa with the border patrol duties. He learned to enjoy the task, as walking the borders gave him a chance to sneak a visit to the hyenas often.

The lionesses had kept their promise to Karanga and behaved politely towards Scar whenever he was around, but they didn't actively seek his company. Only Ndani seem to enjoy spending time with him, and because of that she had to endure the taunts and jokes from her pride-mates. 'Birds of a feather...' was what Huria had said.

Karanga, loving as always, would lie down near Scar often and and would groom his mane. Her daughters Tahlili and Shada, not having grown up with the rules imposed by Thembi, saw no reason to be afraid of Scar, and would run around him and bite his tail whenever their mother spent time with him. Scar wasn't too enthusiastic about cubs in general, but he did enjoy those moments greatly.

The lion was aware that living in Pride Rock had certain advantages, perhaps the most important one being the fact that he didn't have to hunt for his food any more, and that he was allowed to eat along with the lionesses this time. They were not happy with this at first, but they found that Scar was not pushy or aggressive while eating, he actually seemed a bit shy about eating with them, after having been forced in the past to wait for his meal. Scar didn't eat much, either. He had agreed with Mufasa to give part of his meal to his three hyena friends.

Mufasa had been hesitant at first, but he knew how much the hyenas meant to Scar, and if he was willing to go hungry for them, then it was his choice. The only thing Mufasa asked in return was for Scar to keep the hyenas off limits from the borders. They were still not welcome in the Pride Lands.

Scar accepted his terms for the time being, knowing that in the future he would be making the rules.

One afternoon, Scar headed to the elephant graveyard, carrying some meat in his muzzle. The hyenas welcomed him warmly like they used to do when they first met.

"Scar! Buddy!" Banzai yelled as he saw the lion coming closer.

Shenzi and Ed stood up quickly, and stretched their legs.

Scar dropped the meat at their paws. "Here, it was caught earlier today, can't get it any fresher than this!"

The hyenas ate while Scar groomed his mane and face.

"So, how's the whole take-over-business going?" Shenzi asked.

Scar shook his head. "I know what I have to do, but I just can't do it, the pride would hate me and I would end up with nothing. Mufasa's death has to look like an accident so that I can rise to the throne in a naturally-looking way..."

Banzai chuckled. "Hey, Shenzi, picture this: _Good Morning to you, Mister Crocodile, could you perhaps be ever so kind as to eat the Lion King next time he happens to pop by for a drink?_" he said, doing a rather funny impersonation of Scar.

The hyenas rolled on the ground laughing, while Scar rolled his eyes. "Laugh while you can, but soon you'll be begging me to take care of you once that throne is mine."

The lion knew Banzai had the right idea though. Someone else had to do it, just like Tawegboto did with Thembi. But who? Asking the hyenas would be too obvious, and Mufasa never ventured into the graveyard anyway.

He got distracted from his thoughts when Ed let out a loud whoop.

"Oh yes, Clan meeting, thanks for reminding me, Ed..." Shenzi said, "We gotta go Scar, but we'll talk to you later, and thanks for the food!"

Scar nodded, wondering just how Ed was keeping track of when clan meetings were held, but he didn't ask. Instead he waved them good bye and and made his way back to the Pride Lands, where he continued marking the borders.

It was starting to get dark, and the full moon would soon cast its silver light down on him. He hurried up to finish his job, and headed towards Pride Rock. As he made his way back, he stopped on his tracks because he thought he had heard something. He moved his ears in different directions, trying to listen better.

There it was again, it was clearly the sound of someone sobbing. Scar thought about just walking away, but when he heard a female voice say 'Darn you, Mufasa...', his curiosity was piqued.

Scar padded quietly in the direction of the sobs. He felt startled when suddenly the head of a lioness emerged quickly from the tall grass, looking startled too. It was Sarafina, and her face was shining with the reflection of the moonlight in her tears.

"Oh, it's you," she said, drying her face quickly with a paw.

Scar came closer. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude, I was just passing by and I heard someone crying. I just came to check if everything was in order..."

Sarafina sniffled. "Yes, I'm okay, there's nothing wrong..." she said, bursting in tears once again.

Scar looked around, feeling uncomfortable, not knowing what to do. "Look, it's getting late, you shouldn't be out on your own. I'll stick around nearby, and when you're ready to go back to Pride Rock, we'll walk together," he said.

Sarafina simply nodded at him and muttered an almost inaudible 'thanks'.

Scar walked a few paces away and sat down. He really wanted to know what Mufasa did to make her cry that way, but he didn't dare to ask her directly. Perhaps through Ndani he could find out...

The lion was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice Sarafina approaching him. He jumped slightly when he felt a warm, soft paw touching his shoulder.

"Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed, "I thought you had heard me coming over."

Scar shook his head. "I was not paying attention, my bad."

He looked at the lioness, who still looked sad and upset.

"Are you ready to walk back home then?" he asked.

Sarafina shook her head. "No," she said firmly.

Scar tilted his head. "What is going on, Sarafina?"

"Mufasa said he would meet with me tonight, but instead he ran off with Sarabi!" she said, sounding hurt.

"Hmm... well, she _is_ the Queen, after all..."

"I know, I know! But he had agreed to meet me already, and he didn't even have the decency to call it off! I had to hear it from Karanga!" she said, frustrated, "I would have been waiting for hours for him to show up, you know?"

Scar shrugged. "There's nothing I can do, I'm afraid, but you can chew his head off when he returns." he said flatly.

"Oh, he'll hear from me all right..." she muttered.

"Why was this meeting so important? Can't it wait till tomorrow?"

"Oh gods, no, it can't wait. Besides, Mufasa and Sarabi won't be returning for a couple of days."

"Ah..." Scar said, realization dawning upon him, they were probably out there making cubs right now, just like Karanga had explained to him once. He looked at Sarafina all of a sudden, like she was a bomb about to explode.

"Are you... er... I mean, your meeting with Mufasa... Were you going to make cubs too?" Scar asked, and he could feel the blood rising to his face, feeling embarrassed about getting involved in such a private issue.

"You're a male, you should be able to tell what I want! Why can't he? Why can't you?" she snapped angrily, her mood swings now very obvious to Scar, just like Karanga had said. Her exact words had been _'She'll be sweet as honey one moment, and then she will turn and snap at you with bared fangs, for no particular reason...'_

Scar was unsure how to proceed in this case. Mufasa had never explicitly said that he could help the lionesses in season, but since he once asked him to share the responsibilities of the kingdom, he was now assuming this might be one of those responsibilities too. Either way, he was terrified to suggest anything to Sarafina. He had been rejected by her and her sister so many times before, that he expected her to throw a hearty laugh in his face and say _'You? I'd rather kiss a dead rhino!'_

Sarafina let out a loud sigh and looked into his eyes. "Look, you're here, and you're available. Will you help me or not?"

Scar was taken aback by her direct approach.

"Are you sure of what you are asking, Sarafina? This is your body talking only, not your common sense, nor your heart. You never really liked me, and I am afraid you will end up regretting having come to me, instead of just waiting a few days for Mufasa to return."

Sarafina looked at him intently, her feelings clouded by her needs. "If you won't help, I'll go find me someone who can."

Scar swallowed, his mouth dry as sand paper. "Just promise me, Sarafina, that you won't look at me reproachfully when you realize what you've done... Promise you will remember my warning..."

"I promise..." she whispered, and nuzzled Scar gently.

Scar's instinct took over, and he accepted Sarafina's request for help. He would have never thought he'd spend the night with the beautiful Finnie, of all lionesses, so he considered himself very lucky.

* * *

Scar and Sarafina eventually returned to Pride Rock, several hours later. They both agreed they wouldn't speak of this to anyone. Scar headed straight to the southern ledge, while Sarafina headed to the cave.

"Finnie!"

Sarafina looked up when she heard Mufasa calling her name from inside the cave.

"Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you..." he said, padding up to her, looking guilty.

"What are you doing here? Weren't you gone with Sarabi?"

Mufasa nodded. "Yes, but then I remembered... Look, I'm very sorry I forgot our appointment tonight, but I came back to make it up to you..."

Sarafina's eyes widened. "But... Sarabi..."

"It's all right, you two need my assistance and I will just have to organize myself to make time for the both of you."

Sarafina blinked a couple of times, not sure what to do or say. "It's okay, just go to Sarabi, I'll wait..."

"Nonsense," Mufasa said, "Come on, I know of a quiet place where we won't be disturbed."

Sarafina followed the King quietly, feeling a bit embarrassed, but she didn't dare confess her secret to him.

All the way up from the southern ledge, Scar saw them part together. He frowned, and wondered if she'd tell him what had happened. But when they didn't return after several minutes, Scar looked away and sighed. He couldn't help feeling jealous; now that Mufasa was back, Sarafina had no reason to come to Scar any more. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but his mind and heart were still racing from his early encounter with Sarafina, and made it difficult for him to fall asleep.

Mufasa reached the quiet area he mentioned earlier, and nuzzled Sarafina in a friendly and encouraging way, like he did when he was just a playful cub. Sarafina could tell there was no romance in his eyes, but the fact that he left the Queen, just to tend to her needs as well, spoke very high of him in her eyes.

Mufasa grinned as the lioness nuzzled him back, and it was then when he picked up Scar's scent, which was all over her. He froze for a moment.

"What? What is it?" she asked.

Mufasa looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. He thought, "It was my fault, I stood her up when she needed me... I cannot reproach her going to another lion that was actually there for her..."

"It's nothing," he finally said, "I just thought I smelled something."

Sarafina's eyes widened. "He knows..." she thought.

"Look, Mufasa, there's something I need to tell you... Before you do anything, I-"

He motioned her to hush. "You don't owe me any explanations, Finnie. It was my fault, I should not have stood you up."

Sarafina felt her eyes fill up with tears. "You're not angry then?"

He nuzzled the lioness gently. "Of course not. What good would it do having two lions in a pride, if one of them can't help the lionesses? I am glad you went to him and not to some stranger outside the border."

Sarafina looked down embarrassed, but Mufasa's gentle nuzzling distracted her soon enough.

"Do you still want this, Finnie?" he asked.

"Oh yes, very much," she admitted, and allowed Mufasa to proceed with that they originally had planned for that night.

* * *

Scar and Sarafina barely exchanged any words after the incident, but even weeks later, when her mood and temper were back to normal, she still kept her promise, and never looked at him in a reproachful or regretful way. She was grateful for his help and discretion.

Scar had not told anybody either, not even Ndani, with whom he found easy to share secrets.

One morning, Scar was walking by the water hole when he felt a stinging pain on his right paw. He looked at it and saw he had stepped into a big thorn. He tried removing it carefully with his teeth, but it was in too deep and he couldn't get a good grip on it. He tried walking again but the pain came back.

Scar grunted. "I'll have to pop by Rafiki..."

Scar limped towards the baobab, hoping Rafiki would be home. He sighed in relief when he saw the baboon climbing up and down his tree.

"Hey, Rafiki!" the lion called.

Rafiki stuck his head out from within the leaves. "Ah! It is you! Be right there!" he said, hooting happily.

Scar waited patiently until Rafiki came down. "I was wondering how you were, it's been a while since you last came to visit, Hatari."

The lion looked away for a moment. He knew Rafiki had refused to call him Scar, because Scar was not who he was. He was Hatari, the loving cub.

"Sorry, Rafiki, I've been busy, helping with a few things here and there..." Scar said, and lifted his paw to show him the thorn. "I think I stepped on something, could you take a look?"

Rafiki took the paw gently in his hands and examined it closely. "Oh yes, I see it now... I will need some tools for this, I'll go get them."

Scar looked around while he waited for Rafiki, his eyes drifting to the burial ground nearby. Somewhere there was Thembi's body, but it was impossible to see where any more, as grass had grown over the fresh soil.

Rafiki returned with a small set of wooden pliers and managed to extract the thorn swiftly. He also rubbed a green paste on his paw pad.

"There, it might still feel a bit sore when you walk but the feeling will fade soon."

Scar nodded as he tried walking a few paces, it was indeed a lot better now.

"Worked like a charm," he said, walking in circles, while Rafiki looked at him.

The baboon still hadn't figured out what the prophecy from his shell was all about, and the shell never spoke of it again, so he just stared at Hatari and wondered what sort of dark cloud the lion was carrying with him.

Rafiki got distracted when he saw a lioness approaching in the distance.

"Ahh, two visitors? It must be my lucky day!" he said, smiling warmly at the lioness.

Scar looked around and spotted Sarabi coming towards them.

"Hi Rafiki! Morning, Scar," she said politely.

"Hello, my dear, can I help you with anything today?" Rafiki asked.

Sarabi eyed Scar and whispered "I'm sorry, but could you give us a minute? I'd like to talk to him in private..."

Scar shook his head. "No problem, I was leaving anyway. See you around, and thanks again, Rafiki," he said, glancing quickly at Sarabi, who seemed to have gained weight lately.

The lion walked away not thinking much about it, and decided to pay a visit to the hyenas.

Scar looked around for them, but the graveyard was empty except for a few nursing mothers.

He made his way back, feeling a bit disappointed. As he patrolled the border, he kept an eye on the outlands, to see if he could spot any of the hyenas in action. Instead, he spotted Ndani, sitting next to three lionesses, huddled together in deep conversation.

Scar was curious about the lionesses that Ndani hung out with, so he risked getting closer to take a look.

The lionesses noticed his presence quickly and hushed. All of them but Ndani were growling and baring their teeth at him.

Scar didn't get any closer so as not to upset them further. He just looked at the lionesses from afar for a short moment. They looked lean and muscular, and they seemed to have been involved in several fights. The nicest looking one even had a torn ear to prove it.

The three rogue lionesses decided to turn around and leave, and Ndani walked towards Scar instead.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked.

Ndani chuckled. "Nah, we were just gossiping about everything and nothing. They were leaving soon anyway."

Scar and Ndani started walking back to Pride Rock together, as she talked about what she had done with her friends that morning.

Scar listened to her but stopped on his tracks suddenly. "Shhh! Do you hear that?"

Ndani pricked her ears, and she heard a lot of roaring coming from Pride Rock.

"I think something's up, they sound very excited. Shall we go check it out?" she said.

Scar nodded and they both hurried back to Pride Rock, to find out what the commotion was all about.

When Karanga caught a glimpse of Scar approaching, she yelled, "Come, son! Come and listen to the good news!"

Ndani climbed the rocks quickly, followed by Scar. Karanga then ran to meet him.

"Scar, listen to this! Oh, we're so happy!" she said, nuzzling the lion excitedly.

"What is going on here?" Scar asked, looking at all the happy faces around him.

Mufasa cleared his throat and announced with great pride, "Sarabi and I are going to have a cub."

"A cub?" Scar asked, his eyes widening.

Sarabi said, "Yes, Scar, you will be an uncle. Rafiki confirmed it!"

Scar stared at Sarabi for a moment, thinking, "If she's with child, then, perhaps..."

Scar looked around until he spotted Sarafina, who had faded to the background the moment Scar arrived. He realized she too looked heavier than usual.

"Well, say something, brother!" Mufasa said, placing a paw on Scar's shoulder and bringing him out of his entranced state.

"Oh... Sorry, yes, it was just... A bit of a shock... It's not every day one gets a niece or nephew..." Scar shook his head and recovered his composure. "Congratulations, both of you." he said, his words empty of meaning, but the happy couple didn't notice.

The pride was still talking animatedly but Scar could only focus on one thing. He padded slowly towards Sarafina.

"Not here!" she hissed, "Come, let's go..."

Both lions sneaked out of the cave unseen and walked down Pride Rock.

"You too... You too are expecting cubs, am I right?" Scar asked her once they were alone.

Sarafina stared at the grass. "I... I don't know for sure, I haven't been to Rafiki, but I think I am..."

Scar looked at her tummy, intrigued, contemplating the possibility that something he helped create was growing in there.

He looked away, an angry expression on his face showed up suddenly. "It's a shame we won't know for sure who the father is."

Sarafina gasped. "You know about that?"

Scar nodded. "I saw you walking away together with Mufasa that same night. Didn't take much to put two and two together..."

Sarafina had been told by her pride-mates that this is how a pride with more than one lion works, and that there's nothing to be ashamed of. But it still didn't make it any less awkward for her.

"I'm sorry, Scar, I had no idea it would all turn out this way."

"Does Mufasa know? About us?" he asked, with a nervous hint in his voice.

"He does... But he's not angry at us. He says any other lion would have done the same and he was glad it was you and not some rogue. He said he would still love the cub and care for him or her, no matter who the father is."

"How kind of him, very noble," Scar said flatly.

Sarafina sighed. "Look, tonight is Sarabi's night. Let's just go up there and celebrate with them, they're probably wondering where we are..."

Scar shook his head. "You go ahead, I have this pounding headache, must have been the shock of the news."

Sarabi nodded. "Lie down for a bit, you should feel better soon."

Scar and Sarafina parted ways. She headed to the cave, and he headed to the southern ledge, not caring whether the lionesses and Mufasa would miss him or not. He was not in the mood for partying at all.

Scar covered his ears with his front paws to drown out the roaring from down below. The lionesses were so happy... Their elation only caused him more suffering.

The fact that he'd never know for sure whether he had fathered his first cub was very unsettling, and combined with the thought of a possible heir to the throne, it was too much for Scar to handle. He was shaking with anger, towards everyone in general, but mostly towards himself. He had allowed himself to get distracted and waited too long to get rid of Mufasa. Now things would get more complicated. He could only hope that Sarabi would give birth to a princess. That would give him more time to plan his strategy.

However, still no ideas came to him during the period in which Sarabi and Sarafina carried their cubs inside them. He needed an accident to happen, but he just couldn't figure out how to pull it off and not look suspicious.

The two pregnant lionesses spent a lot of time together once they reached the state where they could not join the hunts any more. This meant that Ndani was reluctantly accepted into the hunting party again, leaving Scar feeling more lonely without her company. He also didn't get a chance to speak to Sarafina much, but he always kept an eye on her in case she needed anything.

When the birth was imminent, Sarabi retreated into the cave, as tradition dictated, while Sarafina looked for a secluded place to bring her cubs into the world.

Scar lingered around Pride Rock, respecting Sarafina's desire to give birth in private.

One afternoon, the lion was taking a nap on his ledge, when he was awaken by yells coming from the other side of the rock.

"Girls, hurry, the cub is coming!" Anasa yelled. Scar hurried down his ledge and climbed up towards the promontory, where he met Mufasa and Rafiki, already waiting impatiently outside. All the lionesses were in the cave, assisting Sarabi.

"Hey, Brother, it seems the time has finally come!" Mufasa said, excited and nervous.

Scar nodded at him, and sat down next to them to wait and hear if his hopes to seize the throne soon would be crushed or not.

Mufasa looked at him quickly and whispered, "I sent Zazu on a scouting flight this morning. He's spotted Sarafina and she's doing well, but no cubs yet."

Scar swallowed, and looked at Mufasa, now knowing what to say.

Mufasa turned to him and looked him in the eyes. "We can all live together, Brother, in harmony... Can you see it too? We will erase Father's damage and start anew..."

Scar looked away. "While I appreciate the sentiment, erasing Father's damage is easier said and done, especially coming from you who didn't suffer any of it."

"I know it won't happen overnight, I know it. But we can stop focusing on the past, and work on a better and brighter future. We will bring new life into the Pride, together. I am willing to share the kingdom with you. What do you say brother, can we put everything behind us and start again?" Mufasa said, hoping to fix things with Scar once and for all.

Tempting as the offer was, Scar knew he could not settle for it. It was all or nothing, he didn't want Thembi to look down on them and think that Mufasa was doing all the work while he was just tagging along. No, he'd have this kingdom all to himself, somehow.

"I'm afraid I'll have to get back to you on that. Here comes one of the midwives..." Scar said, looking ahead of him.

Mufasa turned towards the cave, and saw Anasa heading towards them, beaming with delight.

"Tell me Anasa, please..." Mufasa urged her.

"One cub has been born, your Highness. Strong and healthy."

"And? Do we have a heir to the throne?" the King asked.

Anasa kept him in suspense for a few seconds, but then nodded repeatedly. "He's beautiful, like a little star. Just wait here and once he's clean we'll call you in," she said hurriedly and returned to the cave.

Mufasa sat down, his legs shaking after hearing the news.

Next to him, Scar kept staring ahead at the cave, cursing it and everyone inside it. He would have to settle for Mufasa's offer for now, until he could come up with something.

"I guess that little cub will need an uncle to show him around while Daddy goes away on official pride business." he droned.

Mufasa looked at him, too excited to notice Scar's inner turmoil.

"So that means we'll try and give it a go? Start again?"

"We cannot erase the past, Mufasa, too many things happened that have marked me and made me what I am today. But I will try and focus on the brilliant future ahead instead, I am sure that will keep me going." Scar replied, while Mufasa nodded at him, unaware of his hidden agenda and the true meaning of Scar's words.

"You can come now!" Anasa called them.

The lions and Rafiki walked to the cave and admired the little lion nursing at Sarabi's side.

Scar watched as Mufasa nuzzled the baby.

Scar tried to picture the same image when he and Mufasa were born. "So this was what it was like... when I was born... My mother maybe even died at that same spot... Had Thembi already hated me as much, even while I was so tiny and defenceless?" he asked himself.

Sarabi spotted Scar standing there, apparently staring into nothing. She looked at Mufasa and raised her eyebrows.

"Scar? Do you want to see him too? Come closer," Mufasa said invitingly.

Scar snapped back to his senses and approached the cub carefully. "What's his name?" he asked, as he sniffed the tiny lion.

Mufasa smiled and announced to the pride, "His name is Simba."

Rafiki in the meantime was checking on the cub and the mother, both of them were healthy and Sarabi would recover in no time.

"Congratulations, Mufasa. I trust everything is in order now, so I will leave you all to celebrate the birth of the future King."

"Feel free to stay, Rafiki! You're part of the Pride, you can celebrate with us, " Mufasa said, nuzzling the baboon carefully.

Rafiki smiled warmly back at him, and sat down on a nearby rock, admiring the new born cub.

Scar hadn't said much, but he had tried hard not to let his anger and disappointment show to the pride. He stayed there until the Queen and King themselves requested some privacy. The lion slunk to his ledge as quickly as he could, and flopped on his side, feeling depressed.

"Why couldn't the cub be a female?" he muttered, "Now he's doomed too, just like Mufasa..."

* * *

Several weeks had gone by, and the lionesses were expecting Sarafina to return with her cubs any moment now. Zazu had reported that the lioness was well and she appeared to be nursing one cub, whose gender he could not identify from up high.

Finally the awaited day came. The lionesses roared in happiness when Sarafina re-joined the pride.

Scar heard them cheering and rushed to where the lionesses had been lounging. Once he got close to them, he slowed down, trying to look nonchalant and uninterested. He spotted Sarafina lying down on her side.

"Why, Sarafina, you're finally back! The lionesses were missing you terribly," Scar said, walking towards them.

Sarafina tried not to look too embarrassed and greeted him politely. "Hi, Scar, I'm glad to be back too."

"Where's the cub? Can I see it?" he asked, sounding just a bit too eager, but the hint of his excitement was lost on every lioness except Sarafina.

"Come closer," she said, and unfolded her paw. Underneath there was a small cub, drinking milk peacefully.

"Is it male or female?" he asked, staring at the cub.

Sarafina smiled. "It's a girl, I've decided to call her Nala."

Scar came closer, trying to determine whether this tiny bundle of hairs looked more like himself or like Mufasa. It made the lionesses around him raise the the fur of their backs in alarm.

"It's okay," Sarafina mouthed.

Scar sniffed Nala and prodded her gently with the tip of his nose, looking for a hint, anything that could tip him off as to who the father was. He prodded the cub with his nose again gently and finally she lazily opened her eyes, and turned to look at whatever was touching her.

Little Nala stared up into Scar's face. Scar stared back at her intently. She seemed to have Mufasa's nose, but for a brief moment they gazed into each other's big, green eyes, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. It was hard to tell, at this age, perhaps when she was older...

When Scar backed off, he looked calm and composed. "She's very sweet, congratulations, Sarafina."

"Thank you, Scar. It seems Mufasa also wants to take a look," the lioness said, smiling.

Scar looked around and saw his brother, waiting patiently for his turn to look at Nala. He stepped back and let the King through.

Mufasa looked at her, the same question that went through Scar's mind was going through his own now. But it didn't matter that much to him. He'd love her all the same.

The cub looked at Mufasa for a moment, just as Karanga also took a peek at her from behind the King.

"Will you look at that, she's got Kitok's eyes..." Karanga said enthusiastically.

Mufasa knew what this probably meant, but he didn't give any importance to it. "So beautiful, I can't wait for her and Simba to grow up so we can start teaching them the ways of life..."

The whole pride was so excited with the arrival of the new King, that for the next couple of weeks the most common topic of conversation was Simba. Scar had barely talked to Mufasa lately, since he seemed to have eyes for no one but the Prince and Queen. To make matters worse, they were too busy planning the presentation of the cub, in which the animal kingdom would acknowledge Simba as the future King. Scar saw this as an added insult to injury. He was sick and tired of waiting, and with every day that went by his patience grew thinner.

Since Simba's birth, the relation between Mufasa and Scar cooled down even more, but Mufasa still hoped that his younger brother would eventually move on and start enjoying the good life he could have, if he only stopped drowning in his own self-pity.

* * *

Scar was pacing by the waterhole, when he suddenly heard a noise. He turned to see what it was, and saw Zazu landing next to him.

"Oh, it's you," Scar said curtly.

"Mufasa asked me to give you a message," Zazu said, clearly not enjoying having to be near Scar.

"Well, out with it, then," Scar said, looking away.

"He just wanted to remind you that tomorrow will be the presentation of the new King. Mufasa wants to see you there," Zazu recited.

Scar chuckled. "He wants to see me there, of course, pledging allegiance to the new King and all that..." he muttered.

"Precisely," Zazu said, "So don't be late. Tomorrow morning, at sunrise." The bird took off before Scar could say anything else.

Scar sighed. He despised the idea of being at the presentation of that cub. He just could not picture himself yelling along with the lionesses 'Long live the Prince', and pretend like he was happy for his brother. He decided he wouldn't show up, probably no one would notice his absence anyway.

The next day, the sun shone majestically upon the Savannah. Mufasa, standing on the promontory, let loose a powerful roar and shouted cheerfully, "Wake up everyone! Come to witness the future King's presentation!"

Several animals heard the call. A rhino looked up towards Pride Rock, noticing the King standing there, and smiled.

Some antelopes were already hurrying all the way to Pride Rock. A few meerkats also heard Mufasa's call, and stood up on two legs as they scanned the horizon.

A mother cheetah stretched herself, and looked at Pride Rock intently. She turned around and called her cubs.

"Come on, babies, it's time to go."

"Where we going, mom?" one of them asked.

"We're going to meet the new Prince," she told them, "When I was your age, I remember mom took me to see King Mufasa and Prince Scar's presentation. It was a wonderful experience, and I think you will like it too."

"But mom! Won't the lions eat us?" the smaller cub replied, as he followed their mother obediently.

The mother cheetah chuckled. "Not today, sweetie. Hunting is forbidden to everyone, until midday."

In the meantime, all sorts of birds were flying to Pride Rock too, big and small.

A group of elephants came walking slowly, crossing through the shallow part of a river; the water helped them cool themselves and refresh their skin. Some birds were resting on the leader's tusks, and he greeted them politely.

"Hey, are you tired already? There's still a long way to go..." he said, chuckling.

A giraffe and her daughter joined the procession too. The small giraffe had to close her eyes tight when the sun came out and hit her face.

"Hurry up, daughter," her mother called.

The little giraffe opened her eyes once more and continued walking, trying to avoid the sun in her eyes.

While the rest of the animals made their way to Pride Rock, Zazu was flying above the Pride Lands, checking that everything was in order. When the sun had risen completely and most of the animals had gathered around Pride Rock, Zazu headed back, enjoying greatly the sensation of the wind in his face. It was a beautiful day.

Zazu saw Mufasa standing on the tip of the promontory, looking at his Kingdom. He landed in front of the King and bowed.

Mufasa smiled at him, but Zazu could tell there was something troubling the lion.

"Is something wrong, Sire?" he asked.

Mufasa nodded. "Scar is not here. He is not coming," he said, looking disappointed.

"Sire, I did remind him yesterday, but if you want, I can go again and tell him to come..." Zazu said.

Mufasa shook his head. "He's had enough chances, Zazu. I don't appreciate his attitude towards Simba. It is as if he doesn't accept my son as the heir to the throne... But that's not our problem for now. He will have to sort that out himself."

Zazu shook his head and sighed.

Mufasa concentrated again on the presentation and smiled. He saw that the animals were making way for Rafiki, who was walking among them. Rafiki greeted some of them, and they acknowledged his presence by bowing their heads respectfully at him. There was no doubt that Rafiki had been able to help more animals than Mufasa could even think of.

Mufasa turned to Zazu. "Cheer up, Zazu. Let's forget about Scar for now. I will have a talk with him when the presentation is over."

"Very well, sire," Zazu said, and flew away towards where the rest of the pride was waiting.

Rafiki made his way up the promontory and was greeted by a warm hug from Mufasa.

Rafiki hugged him back. "Congratulations, you must feel very proud!" he whispered.

Mufasa smiled and turned to face Sarabi, the Queen, lying a few meters from the entrance of the cavern. He walked to her and nuzzled her lovingly. Then they both looked down at their son, lying warm between her paws.

Rafiki followed the Lion King and looked at the cub with rapt attention. "So this beautiful cub is the new King?" Rafiki asked.

Mufasa nodded.

The baboon started shaking the gourds he had tied to his staff, and these made rattling noises that attracted the cub's attention.

The little lion started pawing at them and even pulled out a claw, reaching for the gourds.

Rafiki stopped shaking his staff and picked up one of the gourds, breaking it in half. He moistened one of his fingers in its sticky content, and carefully, he drew a line in the cub's forehead. Immediately after this, before the liquid dried, Rafiki grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and spread it in the cub's forehead too, which made him sneeze.

Mufasa and Sarabi looked at their son, the love they felt for him was clearly visible in their expressions.

"All right, it is time!" he told the King and Queen.

Sarabi moved her paws so Rafiki could pick up the cub.

The baboon grabbed the little lion and hugged him close to his chest. With steady paces, Rafiki walked to the tip of the promontory. The audience hushed immediately, and watched the baboon intently.

When Rafiki was at the tip of the promontory, he whispered at the cub's ear, "Don't be afraid, little one."

Holding the cub tightly, he lifted him up for all the animals to see. The animals that were present started cheering, clapping and shouting. "Long live the Prince! Hail to the future King!"

Mufasa walked to the promontory, followed by Sarabi. The Queen glanced back and looked proudly at her pride mates, who were smiling happily at her.

The animals all bowed to Simba, accepting him as future King.

Finally, Rafiki lowered the cub and placed it between Sarabi's paws. Mufasa stood up and cleared his throat as he waited for the concurrence to quiet down.

After a couple of minutes, Mufasa started speaking. "Thank you all for coming to my son's presentation. His name will be Simba."

"Long live Simba! Long live Simba!" the animals shouted back.

After several minutes of yelling and chanting, the animals started retreating to their homes and went on with their usual activities. Since hunting was not allowed yet, everyone seemed calm and relaxed, and took this opportunity to mingle with other species. The cheetah mother was talking to a Thomson gazelle, while a leopard cub tried to shake off a meerkat that had playfully climbed up his head.

The pride retreated to their cave, followed by Rafiki, and they all gathered against the proud Queen and her son.

Sarafina sat next to her so that Simba and Nala could start getting to know each other. The cubs sniffed each other's faces but at this stage they were both more interested in food than anything else.

Once the lionesses had settled down, Mufasa called Zazu.

The bird landed in front of him. "What can I do for you, your Highness?"

"I just wanted to thank you for your help in spreading the word about Simba's presentation. I heard from Kuuliza that ever since you started spreading the news, first with the presentation of Scar and myself, and now with Simba, a lot more animals were able to come on time and witness the ceremony."

Zazu blushed slightly and bowed. "Why, thank you sire, I am glad I can be of assistance!"

Mufasa patted him gently on the head with his mighty paw.

Zazu didn't even flinch, he trusted Mufasa with his life.

"Anyway, on to less pleasant matters," he sighed, "Zazu, could you please go to the south ledge and tell Scar that I am coming over? I will catch up with you in a few minutes."

"Certainly, Sire." Zazu took off in the direction of the south ledge.

Scar himself was just settling down on his ledge, having just arrived a few minutes ago. He looked in a sour mood, after having witnessed the beautiful ceremony, but in hiding.

He saw Simba being held up, and all the animals cheering at him. It was a torture to watch all that, but Scar insisted in watching, to remind himself of what was at stake.

For now, he would just try to gain the cub's trust once he's older, and then he'd lure him into a trap, somehow. He still had not come up with a very clear plan, but with cubs being so vulnerable, an 'accident' could happen a lot easier to Simba than it could happen to Mufasa. So for now, Scar would concentrate on disposing first of the cub, and then of his brother.

Scar was about to take a nap, when he heard a soft rustle. He looked up and noticed a mouse that had come out from a hole in the stone wall by the ledge.

"Hmm... Breakfast in bed..." Scar told himself and got up slowly and silently, stalking the tiny animal, while the mouse washed its face, blissfully unaware that he was being stalked.

The mouse suddenly sensed movement close-by, and as it sniffed the air trying to identify what was coming towards him, he realized he was being watched very closely by a lion.

The mouse tried to run away, but it was too late. Scar swatted the mouse with his paw, stunning him slightly. The lion grabbed the mouse's tail between his toes and picked him up, savouring his early snack.

"Let me go! Let me go! Hunting is not allowed until midday! It's forbidden! It's not fair, let me go!" the mouse squeaked.

Scar stared at the struggling rodent and said, "Life's not fair, is it? You see, I, well... I shall never be king." Well, not for now, at least, Scar thought to himself.

Licking his lips, Scar went on, "And you... You'll never see the light of another day..." and he chuckled, taunting the mouse who was squealing loud and asking for help.

"Adieu," the lion said and opened his mouth wide, almost placing the small mouse inside.

He was interrupted when he heard a voice behind him saying, "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?"

Scar turned around to see Zazu standing there, looking annoyed. Sighing exasperated, he said, "What do you want?"

"I am here to announce that King Mufasa is on his way," he said, bowing with deep respect at the mention of the King's name. Standing up-straight again, the bird added, "So you'd better have a good excuse for missing the ceremony this morning."

Scar extended his claws to full length when he heard Mufasa was coming, and as he did so he lost grip of the mouse he had captured.

The little mouse ran away quickly and disappeared into his hole.

Scar growled slightly. "Oh, now look, Zazu, you made me lose my lunch."

Zazu chuckled. "You'll lose more than that when the King gets through with you." The bird turned his back on Scar for a moment and added, "He's as mad as a hippo with a hernia..."

Scar lost his patience. Who did he think he was? He was just some stupid bird who did nothing but meddle in everyone else's business.

Scar slunk towards him menacingly. "Oh, I quiver with fear..." he said, showing his teeth in a malicious grin that betrayed his intentions.

Zazu knew Scar was still not over what happened with Thembi, and felt a twinge of fear when he saw Scar's expression. "Now, Scar, don't look at me that way..."

The hornbill yelled for help, but his shout was stifled inside Scar's mouth. The lion had pounced on him and held him prisoner in his muzzle.

Scar felt Zazu struggling inside, trying to avoid the sharp teeth. He held the bird captive, but without chewing. He was mostly enjoying the bird's panic, perhaps he'd think it twice next time he came and tried to sass him.

"Scar," said the deep voice of Mufasa, apparently right behind him.

Scar turned over his shoulder and tried to say, "Oh, you're here?" but he was unable to speak, with Zazu still inside his mouth.

"Drop him," Mufasa ordered.

Scar released the pressure in his jaw and he felt Zazu's beak protrude out of his own mouth, "Impeccable timing, your majesty..." the bird mumbled.

Scar turned around and spit Zazu to the ground with no delicacy at all.

Zazu looked at his feathers, all covered with Scar's saliva, and groaned in disgust.

Scar circled Mufasa, with whom he had had little contact lately, and said sarcastically, "Why... If it isn't my big brother descending from on high to mingle with the commoners..."

Mufasa ignored his brother's sarcasm and tried to keep calm. "Sarabi and I didn't see you at the presentation of Simba," he said, sternly.

Scar walked to one of the walls nearby and said in fake surprise, "Oh, that was today?" Standing on two legs and resting his two front paws on the wall, he added, "Oh, I feel simply awful." He slid down the wall with claws outstretched, making a screeching noise that sent chills to Zazu's body.

Admiring his sharp claws, Scar said, "Must have slipped my mind."

Zazu frowned. "Yes, well, as slippery as you mind is, as the King's brother, you should have been first in line!" he said, flying in front of Scar's face.

Scar quietly chased the bird away, with a simple click of his teeth, simulating a bite.

Zazu decided to take cover between the strong paws of Mufasa instead.

Scar leaned over and whispered to Zazu, "Well, I was first in line, until the little hairball was born..."

Mufasa's excellent hearing picked up the pejorative name Scar used, to refer to Simba. The King lowered his head and met his brother's eyes with his own. "That 'hairball' is _my_ son, and your future King!" he said, sounding more upset this time.

Scar only made things worse when he said, "Oh, I shall practise my curtsy," and turned away.

Mufasa growled. Scar was going way too far this time. "Don't turn your back on me, Scar!" he warned.

Scar rolled his eyes and, looking at his brother over his shoulder, he said, "Oh, no, Mufasa. Perhaps you shouldn't turn your back on me." He turned again and started walking away.

Mufasa lost his patience and roared angrily. "Is that a challenge?" he asked, blocking Scar's way.

"Temper, temper. I wouldn't dream of challenging you," Scar said. His dreams about Mufasa were much, much darker.

"Pity! Why not?" Zazu asked, knowing perfectly well that Scar wouldn't stand a chance against Mufasa.

Scar chuckled slightly and eyed Zazu. "Well, as far as brains go, I got the lion's share."

Then, looking at Mufasa, he added with a colder tone, "But when it comes to brute strength..." he paused an instant, recalling how Thembi always gave the best food to Mufasa, making of him a stronger and bigger lion, "I'm afraid I am at the shallow end of the gene pool."

Scar walked away, the tension between him and Mufasa growing stronger by the minute. Scar knew that with his attitude he was risking being banned again, but on the other hand, he also knew that Mufasa felt that he owed him, in a way, for what Thembi did. He wasn't too afraid of being kicked out of the pride just yet.

Mufasa in the meantime saw his brother leaving and thought, "What has happened to you, brother? Even with all the problems you had, we still got along well... Why did that have to change?"

Zazu could see the sadness in Mufasa's eyes and tried to cheer him up a bit. "There's one in every family, Sire..." and recalling two of his nasty cousins, he added quickly, "Two in mine actually. And they always manage to ruin special occasions..."

Mufasa sighed. "What am I going to do with him?" he said. "I've tried everything, I've tried to make him feel welcome, the lionesses can go to him if they wish, just what is his problem?" the King thought.

The last thing Scar could hear from their conversation as he walked away, was a remark made by Zazu, stating that Scar would make a handsome throw rug, that could be beaten eventually. That remark stung Scar deeply, especially since Mufasa apparently had found it funny. Since Scar had been beaten for real, he didn't take the matter lightly.

Scar reached the shade of a nearby tree and sat down for a moment. He listened to the soft rustle of the grass in the wind. He felt more and more sleepy, until he finally closed his eyes and got lost in a strange dream, in which he relived the day when the wildebeest marked him forever, but this time, it was not himself in the middle of the herd, but a cub that looked like Simba.

Scar woke up with a start, recalling what he had just dreamed. "The wildebeest! So volatile... why didn't I think of them sooner?" he told himself, feeling excited all of a sudden.

His plans started taking some shape now, but he knew he had to wait until Simba was a little bit older. There's no way a new born would end up in the middle of the wildebeest herd, but a curious cub was bound to end up getting in trouble... It was the perfect setting, now he just needed to work on the details.

Scar rested his chin on his paws again, as he day-dreamed about becoming King and proving Thembi wrong.

It is said that some elephants had walked nearby and noticed that Scar, the lion that never laughed, the bitter one, was smiling. It was not his usual smirk, it was a broad smile that the animals had not seen on him since he had been cub.

**THE END OF "MUFASA AND SCAR: THE BROKEN LEGACY"**


	20. Final Note from the Author

**Final note from the author**

The original version of this story was written a long time ago. (You may still find it archived in some old TLK websites here and there.) I was still a high-school student back then, but I think that with the course of the years my English has improved a bit. (I'm still not perfect, so bear with me!) Anyway, I was able to see that my story was full of weird grammatical constructions and _Spanishisms_, since Spanish is my native language.

So I decided to give it a go: re-read my own fanfic, and try to fix these problems.

But what started like a project to fix grammatical inconsistencies became a whole re-write of the fic itself. The plot in general is basically the same, however I realized that the original story was seriously lacking some character development too.

This resulted in awkward situations, in which characters went from "I HATE YOU" to "I LOVE YOU!" in a matter of seconds. It made sense to me back then, but when I re-read the story, I realized that there was a lot missing. I needed to dive deeper into my character's feelings, so that the readers too could understand what they were feeling, and why they reacted the way they did during certain circumstances. So, several new scenes were added too, to try and convey their feelings better.

I believe Karanga was the one who suffered the biggest change. In the original version, she did fight with Thembi, but she was too quick to forget what he did to her and Hatari and went all lovey-dovey on Thembi every time after each fight, so I tried to work on her some more. I think the end result in this final version is better, I got to like her a lot more, and I hope the readers will like her too.

Another character that suffered a major change was Ndani. She basically came back from the dead! :D I had "killed" her in the original story because I could not figure out what to do with her. Well, this time I had a better idea, thanks to a bit of inspiration taken from the film 'Simba's Pride', so I decided to bring her back. ;)

The original story also included the beginnings of Pumbaa and Timon's friendship, but the feedback that I received was that it abruptly pulled readers out from Scar's story. The scenes were short, and didn't add anything to Scar's tale, so I decided to scrape those scenes all together, and maybe I will put them back together on a separate ficlet, dedicated to the duo instead.

I also decided to toy with the idea of who Nala's father is. Since during an official interview the creators at Disney couldn't answer the question, and reluctantly admitted that it had to be either Mufasa or Scar, I tried to incorporate Nala into the story too (she was totally absent in the original one) and still tried to keep things as ambiguous as in the film. ;)

For those worried about the lions being related to each other in some way (for example, Sarabi and Sarafina being sisters, which would make Simba and Nala cousins): I suggest you don't pay much attention to that. In real life, the lionesses in the pride are usually related somehow, and since there is only one or two males hanging around, there's nothing the lionesses can do to prevent that from happening. The good news is: they don't care. ;)

Well, I hope you've enjoyed reading this new version of my story. Feedback and constructive criticism are welcome. Let me know what you think, and whether you still spot recurring grammar issues that I might be able to work on for future fics!

And special thanks to TanabiisAwesome for commenting on almost every chapter. I looked forward to your comments! :)

Asante Sana,

Niche Eenhoorn


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